


Light In Hell

by MapleCFreter



Series: The Underworld [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: ANBU - Freeform, Action, Angst, Animal Death, Drama, Friendship, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicide Attempt, Suspense, Team Ro, Unhealthy Relationships, charish them, fair warning this will get depressing, kakayama is endgame here, listen I am so sorry, there are some fluffy parts though, there will be a happy ending I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-10-28 06:19:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 64,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10825527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MapleCFreter/pseuds/MapleCFreter
Summary: On the anniversary of Rin’s death Kakashi decided to take his own life, but is stopped by Obito, who reveals he is alive and tells him that if he must keep living in hell then so does Kakashi.Kakashi is consumed with an obsession to find his missing friend. The problem is, no one believes him, thinking he’s finally lost his mind. Well, no one aside for Tenzo that is. Tenzo would do anything for Kakashi, and that is a very dangerous thing.





	1. Mission Gone Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've written about 10k so far but I still don't have a good estimate of how long it will be. Oops... I'll be posting what I have bit by bit and hopefully I won't catch up with myself. 
> 
> Don't read if suicide can be triggering to you. There is not much healthy coping with stuff in this fic. It isn't just angst though, there's a plot.

It was the kind of rain that made it seem like the world was ending, like the land would be washed away into the sea, and with it all shinobi. Looking through the slits in his porcelain mask, Kakashi felt like he was attempting to peer through a waterfall. The ground in the forest had turned to thick mud, and it coted the gear of his comrades making them look bedraggled and tired, not like the terrifying warriors he knew them to be.

Team Ro had been backed into a corner, quite literally. They all crouched in the shadow of his hastily erected mud wall, an impromptu piece of camouflage allowing them at least a moment’s respite from those pursuing them. Kakashi was frozen, caught half between memory and reality. He was aware of this, cursing his failing. At a time like this his team needed him sharp, but it felt just like that night. Maybe it was the Kiri ninja right on their tail, or maybe it was the time of year, _or maybe a premonition._

“Captain, we need a plan of action. Now.” It was Tenzo, crouching close in front of him, a reassuring hand gripping his shoulder.

Rain ran down over the familiar cat mask, and over the bloody gash which had been opened across the other boy’s chest.

He was a failure. They were all going to die, and it was all his fault, succumbing to memory at a time like this. The whole mission he’d been off, and not the normal kind of off he could hide. The team had begun to notice; his nightmares suddenly too aggressive to be pushed aside by the adrenaline of the mission, or the short lengths of their sleeping shifts. His nightmares had suddenly become faster, and more deadly, and now they were leaking out into reality.  He was a weak leader, breaking in the midst of war and dragging his men down with him.

There was an explosion. A powerful jet of water crushed a nearby group of trees, triggering some of their hastily set traps. They were almost out of time. The world was spinning, and he could barely see through the rain. The water ran into his mouth.

“Senpai! Snap out of it!” This was unlike Tenzo, too unprofessional for when they were in uniform. There was a pause, then he drew back. “It’s alright. Just breath, I’ve got this.”

“No.” Kakashi cut him off, rising into a crouch with his sword in his hand.

The plan had fallen into place instantly. It was really the only choice. Rin’s death could not be repeated anywhere but in his dreams. From a pouch on his leg, Kakashi removed a small vile, the reason for their mission.

This was the perfect plan.

“Take it.” He held it out. “It is imperative that we get the sample safely back to the village and out of the hands of the enemy. The four of you take it. I’ll stay back and stall the enemy. I should be able to buy you the head start you need. We’re almost at the border.”

It was Rat to speak first, voice incredulous. “That’s suicide. There has to be almost twenty of them. You’re good Captain, but that’s insane.”

“That’s suicide,” Tenzo echoed, voice hollow.

“The mission comes first,” said Kakashi. “We must protect the sample, and of all of us I stand the best chance of delaying them for any significant amount of time. It’s the only choice.”

“It’s not and you know it,” Tenzo shot back.

This was so unlike him it left Kakashi a little dazed. He was usually the first member of the squad to follow his orders without question.

“Stand down Cat,” he warned. “I’m the captain and these are my orders.”

Wordlessly, Itachi plucked the vile from his grip. Of course he could count on the young Uchiha to see reason. He rose, looking down at the squad expectantly, his red eyes glinting through the slits in his mask.

“I’m staying with you,” said Tenzo. “Two stand a better chance of stalling them.”

“Kiri set out to steal a sample of the First Hokage’s DNA,” Kakashi reminded them. “Can you think of a reason you staying back might be counterproductive? You shouldn’t even have been allowed to come on this mission.”

He could feel Tenzo’s glare, even through the mask.

“They located us,” reported Hawk, their sensory type.

“Shit,” Kakashi swore. “Go! Go now!”

Leaping on top of his first mud wall he wove the signs, creating a second larger wall across the clearing, just as the enemies entered from the other side. Cracks appeared in the barrier as a powerful water attack hit it from the other side. Kakashi leapt over the gap between the walls, Chidori crackling to life. He landed just as one of the enemy shinobi jumped up to meet him. Carried by the momentum of his leap he tore through the man’s shoulder.

Flipping, he landed behind the enemies. He had to find which one of them was the powerful water style user. They were bound to be the most dangerous. The nearest Kiri-nin was a man wielding a sword almost the size of his body. When he slashed, Kakashi landed so that he was perched on the broad side of the blade. With his Chidori he aimed for the man’s neck. However, this combatant did not go down as quickly as the last.

For a moment, the two danced. The man’s comrades threw shuriken which Kakashi managed to deflect with this sword. A dodge of the large sword sent Kakashi rolling across the muddy ground. As he leapt back into a crouch, he finally made contact with his Chidori. The lighting jab cut through both the man’s knees, and he screamed.

There was still no time to take a breath. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two shinobi break away from the group. They were going after the rest of the squad, Kakashi realized, stomach sinking. Coating them with lightening chakra, Kakashi threw a cloud of shuriken. But he’d been so focused on these two, he had not noticed the kunai thrown at him by a closer enemy.

The explosive tag it trailed exploded, and he rolled with the blast, attempting to minimize the damage. The heat burned through his glove, where he’d brought it up to shield his face. The uniform on his left side was covered in holes, his skin red and blistering. It smoked where the rain made contact. The pain was purifying. When he was in pain that was all there was; no memories, no thoughts but of the battle swirling around him, no future.

_Not yet._

He hadn’t bought them enough time. The others had to get away. Leaping to his feet, he leapt after the two attempting to leave, sword raised. One of them was a woman, and she landed on a tree above, weaving a flurry of signs simultaneously. Even through the rain, Kakashi’s Sharingan tracked the movement, analysing.

As a massive dragon exploded from the rain itself, Kakashi realized he’d found the powerful water user. He only barely managed to dodge it, swinging off a tree branch and flying across the clearing. It was right on his tail, and when he hit it with his Chidori it reformed again almost immediately. He managed to kill one of the other shinobi with his sword as he landed, but the dragon swooped down at him, mouth gaping. It seemed to be growing in size, sucking in the power of the storm. Kakashi managed to throw a handful of explosive tags seconds before it hit him. _Had he bought them enough time?_ It wrapped around him and suddenly he was drowning.

Pulling off a substitution under these conditions was near impossible, but Kakashi somehow managed it. The dragon devoured the piece of wood he’d left in his place, as he leaned against one of the trees at the edge of the clearing, panting. He’d only managed to kill six, but of the original seventeen all of them were still in the clearing. He’d done it, he’d stalled them.

The woman jumped at him, a blade of water extending from her arm. He wasn’t fast enough, and it went through his shoulder, pinning him to the tree. He tore himself free, but his left arm was useless. He would not be able to fight for much longer.

He managed to kill two more with his Chidori before it was truly over. His hand went through the chest of a girl, probably younger than him. Images of Rin flashed before his eyes, as the user of the dragon Jutsu screamed in anguish. She lunged at him, fist making direct contact with his face. His neck snapped back, and darkness almost consumed him completely.

He heard her screaming the younger girls name, heard the pain in her voice. So, he killed their friends, as they killed his. It was endless. Pain brought pain. To be alive in this world was to hurt. A kunai slammed through his stomach, and he tasted blood in his mouth.

Images swam in his blurred vision: of Rin and Obito, of Minato and his father. He’d finally be able to see them again, maybe. At least he would not have to live in a world without them.

Almost ten minutes passed before he realized he was not dead, or that he wasn’t in the clearing. Why? Someone was dragging him, his arm over their shoulder, his feet sliding tractionless over the mud. When his vision stopped spinning, he recognized the other ANBU, much shorter than him.

“Fox?” he coughed.

“Good,” Itachi said, “you’re conscious. You’re too large for me to carry, and my Genjutsu bought us some time, but I think it’s best that we run.  Can you manage.”

An irrational sort of anger gripped Kakashi, though when he spoke his voice was weak. “I thought I ordered you to leave.”

“He would have gone back for you,” Itachi said, matter of fact. It was obvious who he meant. “I thought it would be less detrimental to the mission if I were to go instead.”

It was like the Uchiha could see right through him with those eyes. Kakashi felt naked, and embarrassed. There was a reason he did what he’d done. It had been for the village. It made sense. Then why did he feel so disappointed?

“Yeah,” Kakashi said, steadying himself on Itachi’s shoulder, and wrapping an arm around the wound in his stomach. “I can run.” 

It was probably true. He was losing a lot of blood from his stomach and his shoulder, and his burns still smarted, but he’d lived through worse. It was like the universe wouldn’t let him die, like the gods had trapped him here to suffer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this first chapter is kind of short, sorry. We don't get to the stuff in the summary until chapter 3.


	2. Anniversary

It was a beautiful day in Konoha. Tenzo wandered aimlessly through the market, looking for nothing in particular. The chest wound he’d sustained on his last mission still ached a little, but with the magic of medical Ninjutsu it was almost gone. Kakashi had been hurt much worse, but at least he was alive. None of Kakashi’s injuries has been of the sort that could not easily be healed by skilled medic-nin, and he’d been out of the hospital in two days.

Team Ro was back in fighting form, but it seemed they would not be dispatched on another mission for at least some time. The vacation was not unwelcome, but it was the reason behind it that had Tenzo worried. Though nothing had been said explicitly, it was clear the higherups in ANBU were worried about Kakashi’s stability as a squad leader, and Tenzo couldn’t help but feel guilty for what little information he’d provided them with.

_“It will be a little while before you get your next mission. Your team is grounded… at least for the next few weeks,”_ the ANBU dispatcher had said, like he knew something they didn’t.

He couldn’t help that he was worried, and he knew he wasn’t the only one. Though they were all loyal to Kakashi, they had also all sensed something was off on the last mission. From the nightmares, to his final kamikaze play, it was like all the dark thing their captain pushed down were finally bubbling to the surface. All the same, Tenzo was sure of one thing, there was no better ninja in the world than his Senpai, and there was no better captain for Team Ro. After all, in the end, the mission had been a success.

“Tenzo, is it?” A loud voice startled him out of his thoughts.

He was suddenly face to face with a grinning ninja sporting a green jumpsuit and unflattering haircut. Tenzo knew him. This was one of Kakashi’s friends, that he’d come up through the academy with.

“Uhh yeah, and you’re…” The slot machine in his mind spun.

He’d only encountered the other ninja a handful of times, and Kakashi, being Kakashi, had never bothered to formally introduce them.

“It’s Might Guy!”

Tenzo found his hand trapped in an overly enthusiastic handshake.

“Ah, yes, I knew that.”

“I know you’re friends, so I was just wondering if you know where Kakashi is,” Guy got to the point.

It was well hidden behind the boisterous charm the man always seemed to exude, but Tenzo detected a hint of worry in Guy’s voice. The weight which has been sitting in the pit of his stomach since they’d returned from the mission gained ten pounds.

“No, I haven’t seen him since the debrief yesterday.”

He knew he wasn’t supposed to talk about ANBU, but it had just slipped out, and it wasn’t like he’d been explicate.

“Don’t worry about it.” Guy gave him a thumbs up. “I just thought I’d ask.”

He turned to leave, and words caught in Tenzo’s throat. There were so many things he wanted to ask. Guy knew something he didn’t. Guy knew more about Kakashi than he did. There was a reason he was worried, and that made Tenzo terribly worried.

“Wait!” he called out, and cursed that he’d been unable to keep the emotion out of his voice.

Guy turned back, raising a thick eyebrow.

“Is there something going on?” Tenzo finally managed.

“Only youthful rivalry,” Guy exclaimed, almost convincing. “I haven’t seen him in over a month and I’m worried he’ll get lazy without me to challenge him.”

“Right…” Tenzo had gotten a lot better at dealing with people since he’d left Root, but Guy was still beyond him.

So, as Guy left the market, he followed him, keeping to the shadows. Guy went to the same cemetery to which Tenzo had once followed Kakashi, to the very same grave. Tenzo knew about Rin, of course. He had once used that knowledge as a weapon against his Senpai, though he wished now he could take it back. He knew Kakashi had lost everyone, though they had never really talked about it. It had been Danzo to show him the file.

There was someone already at Rin’s grave, but it wasn’t Kakashi. It was a Jonin he only vaguely recognized. She had long, dark hair, and wore a white dress instead of the traditional vest.

“Kurenai-chan!” Guy greeted. “Has—”

“He hasn’t been here,” she cut him off, her concern audible to Tenzo, even from the distance at which he hid.

“Damn… I would have thought…”

“This isn’t good, Guy.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic.” There was strain in his voice, the optimism clearly forced. “Let’s go check in with Asuma. Maybe he’s there.”

The two set off in the direction of the memorial stone, Tenzo trailing them. Another one of Kakashi’s classmates waited there, staring at the black plaque. Tenzo knew him, of course: Asuma Sarutobi, the Hokage’s son.

“No Kakashi here either, eh?” Guy asked, as they approached. 

Asuma shook his head. “His house then?”

“But he wasn’t there earlier,” Kurenai shot back.

There was a long silence before she spoke again. “Do you guys really think he’ll… Do you really think it’s that bad this year? He’s survived so far.”

“But he hasn’t dealt with it,” Asuma said. “Everyone with eyes can see that. Then there’s the conversation I overheard my father having… ANBU’s benched him.”

Tenzo couldn’t help but wince at the blatant security leak.

“Have more faith in Kakashi!” Guy slapped both his comrades on the back. “He’s strong, and super cool. All he needs is some friends to help take his mind off things.”

“But he didn’t even go to her grave,” Kurenai said, “not at all. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t think it’s a good sign. I just wish we knew what happened on his last mission.”

Asuma met her eyes. “Do you think we should ask _him_?”

Tenzo stiffened. They couldn’t mean…

“Who?” Guy asked. “Kakashi?”

“You really didn’t notice him?” asked Kurenai. “He followed you to the cemetery.”   

“Uh…” Guy scratched the side of his face.

“Don’t feel bad,” Asuma said. “I wouldn’t have noticed either if it wasn’t for Kurenai.”

It was unmistakable now. They were all looking directly at the other side of the tree into which Tenzo was half fused. He felt a hot flash of embarrassment. Some ANBU he was, being spotted as easily as this. But there was no escape now. Nervously, he stepped out into view. They didn’t know him, and he had just been eavesdropping on a very private conversation. A thousand possible courses of action flashed through his anxious brain, but in the end, he settled on the truth.

“I’m sorry,” Tenzo said. “I was just… worried.”

They seemed to understand, for their faces were not hostile.

“So it seems you didn’t buy my line earlier, eh?” said Guy. “I’m sorry to have brushed you off like that, but I don’t like to gossip about friends to their coworkers.”

“So,” Asuma crossed his arms across his chest. “What did happen on Kakashi’s last mission?”

“Uhh…”

They were Kakashi’s friends, and they were clearly just worried like him, but still. ANBU protocol was so deeply ingrained in Tenzo that he found himself unable to speak.

“You don’t have to go into specifics,” Kurenai said, more gently. “We know it’s classified. Just… Kakashi doesn’t really talk to us anymore. You probably know him better than we do.”

“I noticed something was off from the nightmares,” Tenzo said quietly, guilty like the man himself was going to step out from behind a tree and accuse him of talking about him. “I mean… I’m sure we all get nightmares. But these were loud, obvious, even with the short sleeping shifts we take in… you know.” He looked around nervously, but they were alone at the memorial stone.  “I thought maybe he was just having a bad week, but then he had to try and get himself killed.”

All three stiffened, staring at him. Tenzo wondered if he could have worded it better, but there was no other way to say it.

“There were twenty enemies on our tail,” he continued. “He ordered us to go ahead without him, said he’d stall them alone. It was insane. If I hadn’t convinced Fox to go back for him… It was like he was trying to kill himself.”

“It appears it’s as bad as we feared,” Guy said, as serious as Tenzo had ever seen him. “We need to find him.”

“Do you know why now?” Tenzo asked. “What’s so special about today?”

There was a long pause, then Asuma asked. “Do you know about his teammates?”

“Rin and Obito?”

He nodded. “And do you know what happened to Rin?”

“That he ki—” Tenzo cut himself off. “No, not really. All I know is that she died.”

“This is the anniversary,” Kurenai explained. “This is the day she died, five years ago. It’s always a tough time of year for Kakashi. We didn’t want him to spend it alone, which is why we were looking for him.”

Tenzo felt bad intruding on a grieving process which he had no right to be part of, but these feelings of awkwardness were superseded by his worry for Kakashi. “Can I help?”

Guy nodded, slapping him on the back. “Of course.”

Kakashi did visit Rin’s grave that day, but it was not until after the sun had long set, and those who were searching for him had left. Whether they had given up or were simply searching elsewhere was irrelevant. They weren’t here. The cemetery was empty, and as Kakashi moved silently across the grass the lights of the village began to dim. The world was going to sleep.

He fell to his knees in front of the small, grey headstone. He had brought her no flowers, and the old ones he had left had wilted. For the first time in a long time he cried, really cried. Full body sobs gripped him. Normally he would be against showing emotions in a place as public as this, but he was so far past caring. He’d spent the day strung out on painkillers he’d gotten from some old injury which he’d never bothered to take. They’d worn off now, leaving him with nothing but a splitting headache and a new piece of guilt to mix in with the others.

Curling up on the ground, he lay his head on the cool stone, tears still flowing, like they’d built up from all the other times he hadn’t cried. He lay there and told her all the reasons he was sorry, and all the reasons the world would be so much better without him in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the first two chapters are so short. From chapter 3 onwards they're about double the length these first two have been. 
> 
> Do you guys like angst? The next chapter is angst to the max.


	3. The Ghost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there are a million ways to deal with this confusingness, but when I say Tobi in this chapter I am referring to spiral Zetsu. (The one who likes poop and wraps around people like Obito or Yamato)

It had been quite some time since Obito had returned to Konoha. In fact, he hadn’t been since the night he’d killed Minato. The village had healed well from the attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox but, but as peaceful as it looked tonight, he knew it was the kind of thing that didn’t last. Peace never did.

He’d told himself all that mattered was the plan, that a grave was meaningless, but yet he’d found himself drawn back here on the anniversary of her death. This was the anniversary of the night that had changed everything, that had made him into a new man and set him on the path he now walked. This wasn’t just about Rin, he told himself. This was about the world.

“It looks like someone beat you here,” a shrill voice sounded, directly in his ear.

Sometimes, having Tobi encase him was an asset. Sometimes he needed the extra chakra, or putting his body on autopilot and letting Tobi take over was a relief. Tonight, however, was a solemn pilgrimage, and bringing him along had certainly been a mistake. But being completely honest he’d been worried Tobi might not be able to exist without him. Usually the clone was capable of carrying out missions on his own, but since the DNA had begun to degrade…

That was a problem he was going to deal with, but it was not the reason he had come to Konoha tonight. He pushed it aside for now.

As Obito neared the treeline at the edge of the cemetery he noticed that Tobi was right. There was already someone at Rin’s grave. He really shouldn’t be surprised. Of course it was Kakashi. His former teammate seemed to be asleep, cheek resting on the headstone, hugging it like one hugged a pillow.

“Wow,” Tobi chirped, “he doesn’t look so hot.”

“Shut up.” 

Stupid Kakashi! He always ruined everything. Now he couldn’t even grieve in peace, instead forced to lurk in the shadows. It was for the sake of the world, he told himself. But there was something about seeing Kakashi that made the grief more real, more immediate. This world took, and it took, and it took until all that was left was a hero, alone, apologizing to a grave. He would fix everything, and in his dream world Kakashi too would be happy.

Despite himself, Obito transported to stand over the grave. A vase of dead flowers had been knocked off to lie on the grass. Back at the beginning, when he had visited more, Kakashi had never let them wilt. He supposed the life of a ninja was busy.

He pretended not to notice the dried tears on Kakashi’s face, and instead tried to focus on what he had come here to think about. It was always painful reliving that night, but it was also purifying. It helped steady him and remind him why his goals were what they were.

It was the very middle of the night, and the village was dark. A cold wind blew through the cemetery, ruffling Obito’s cloak.

“Rin.” He said her name like a prayer, little more than a whisper.

Kakashi stirred, and cursing himself silently, Obito disappeared in a swirl of space-time.

Kakashi was not sure what had woken him. It was cold in the cemetery, the pleasant heat of the day long gone. He hadn’t intended to fall asleep, but the numbness from the wind and the stiffness of his body were at least some punishment, though they were not nearly punishment enough. There were no tears left to cry, after last night. Instead he stared numbly down at the name carved in the stone.

He could feel the Sharingan, as he sometimes did. It was a foreign thing not part of his body, watching what he did, always judging. With his Sharingan he could still see Rin’s blood on his hand, no matter how much he scrubbed it—until the skin was raw. He knew it was Obito, reminding him of the promise he’d failed to keep. It was an odd delusion, but he had never stopped believing that Obito was watching his life unfold through his eye. It was one of the reasons he kept going: to keep the last part of his friend alive. But even if Obito was watching through his Sharingan, who wanted to be forced to stare at a grave?

Kakashi stiffly pushed himself to his feet, stumbling slightly. It was wrong for him not to visit Obito on a night like this. Rin did not deserve to see him break, but maybe his other dead teammate would have some answers for him.

The memorial stone was not far from the cemetery. It was also further from the buildings of the village, from anyone who might still be awake at this time of night. He sat down with his back against the polished stone. This wasn’t just a memorial for Obito of course. Behind him were carved the names of many Shinobi who had died in battle: too many.

“I’m sorry…” he started as he always did, but the next words were new. “I don’t think I can keep doing this. I’m—” he choked on his words, “I’m sorry to waste the gift you gave me.”

Kakashi touched his closed eyelid, running his fingers over the scar. The tears were starting to well up again.

“I wanted to make you proud, use it to change the world like you always wanted to. But, I can’t… I just can’t. And everything I touch falls apart and dies, and it’s like the only thing I’m good for is killing. That’s not the life you would have wanted for this eye. I can’t keep letting you down, not after Rin. I see her face every single night, and sometimes I think it’s this eye, that it’s you, reminding me what I did.” Kakashi laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “Maybe I’ve been wrong all this time. You’d probably kill me if you could. Maybe…”

He pressed his right palm to his chest, right over his heart. Squeezing the fabric of his shirt in a fist he let a single tear drip down over his mask.

“Maybe this is what you want, what you’ve been trying to tell me. Maybe this is why I can still see the fucking blood. I… fuck! I never wanted to be like my father. I never told anyone this, but I hated him for what he did. I promised myself I would never be that selfish, but… He had me, and I have no one. I—I can’t think of one person in my life who wouldn’t be better off without me. I used to think I was living for the village, that I was a good weapon, at least. But I’m like a sword without a hilt, cutting the hand the wields me. The village will be better off without me too, especially in this time of peace. I think I was meant to die in the war.”

The silence stretched out, and the wind blew through the leaves. He had just made a very convincing argument, and it was with a numb sort of peace that he realized he’d made up his mind. He wouldn’t kill himself here of course, not in front of the memorial stone. That was disrespectful, especially since dying like this, his name would certainly not be honoured. The Shinobi remembered here were heroes, and he was garbage.

Rising to his feet, he wandered aimlessly towards the forest. How was he going to do it? A sword through the chest like his father? No, on the anniversary of Rin’s death there was only one choice. Unnecessarily gory, maybe, but it was best he go out how he had lived. It would be easier than it appeared, the speed of the Chidori would end it quicker than any blade. It was a Jutsu he could only use effectively because of his stolen eye, so in the end it would be a little bit like Obito had killed him. Good.

He hadn’t been paying attention to where he was going, but the trees had closed in around him. He wanted to get far enough from the village that they wouldn’t find him right away, maybe not at all. It would be easier for those stupid enough to care about him if they thought he’d just disappeared. Asuma, Kurenai, Guy, he’d been pushing them away for years, he doubted they even cared, and they had each other. Team Ro would find a better leader, and Tenzo…. I little bit of guilt welled up, which he hurried to squash.

He couldn’t help but feel a little responsible for the boy he’d saved from ROOT. Tenzo had no one else, but he wasn’t being like his father, he reassured himself, they weren’t family after all. And having no one was better than him. Tenzo would move on, and make friends, and probably live much longer without him around.

Unconsciously, his hand had moved to grip the cloth over his heart. He couldn’t put it off any longer. As he stared down at his hand, the same hand that had killed Rin, he felt happier than he had in a long time. He was free, finally brave enough to face the demon that had been chasing him for a long time. The Jutsu flared to life, crackling like birdsong, and he closed his eyes. Just like on his last mission, their faces flashed behind his eyelids: Obito, Rin, Minato, his father. They were all smiling at him.

It happened suddenly. One moment he could feel the heat of the Chidori near his chest, and the next one there was a hand wrapped around his wrist and he was being swung, quite violently, into a tree. His arm was pinned against it, the lightening screaming, cutting into the bark.

His attacker—or saviour, depending on your perspective—was wrapped in a strange white substance. It spiralled in over his face, leaving a hole for only the right eye. An enemy Shinobi, Kakashi wondered. He was too numb to feel anything at all, the situation was so surreal. A spirit, maybe, to guide him to the next world. His Chidori began to fade.

Through the eye hole he saw the red glint of a Sharingan.

“Who…?”

The figure stepped back, releasing him, and the mask opened on its own, like the peddles of a flower. All Kakashi could do was blink. Had he finally lost it? But if he was going to hallucinate Obito, why would it be an Obito so shockingly different from the Obito he’d know? A ghost then? A vengeful spirit? But the hand around his wrist had felt so real. And why would a ghost have long hair? It was all too much, too nonsensical, like a dream.

“Obito,” he asked, blankly. “Are you here to kill me?”

There was judgment in his friend’s one eye, the judgment he knew he deserved.

“You’re still a fucking moron, at least that much hasn’t changed.” Obito’s voice was much deeper than he remembered, unrecognizably so.

“You don’t—” He started speaking again, and although his voice was deep, and angry, it cracked a little. “You don’t get to do this! And you definitely don’t get to drag me into it. Fuck you for that!”

“You’re alive…” Kakashi said, incredulous, as the truth of the situation began to dawn on him.

“Yes, and do you think I want to keep living in this hell either? But I’m not a coward like you! I’m going to fix everything, fix this world, and I’m not going to die before I do. I’m not going to take the easy way out, so you don’t get to either!” Obito grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and punched him in the face.

The pain snapped Kakashi out of his trance as he was dropped to the ground.

“You’ve got to stay here,” Obito pointed an accusing finger, “stuck in hell with me. You don’t deserve to go see Rin yet.”

“You’re alive!” Kakashi said it again, this time with understanding and joy. He jumped to his feet, not caring about the blood in his mouth. “Where have you been? How did you survive? What have you been doing all this time? What did you mean when you said you were going to fix everything?” All his questions rushed out at once, tumbling over each other.

“I am going to see Rin again,” Obito’s voice was firm, “and I’m not going to have to die to do it.”

“What do you…? How…?”

“I shouldn’t have done this,” Obito muttered. “I shouldn’t have bothered with this, with you. It doesn’t matter anyways. Nothing in this world does. It’s just…” There was a pause. Then, “goodbye Kakashi, there is a good chance we will meet again some time.”

Right before his eyes, Obito spiralled in on himself, disappearing into thin air with a Jutsu he had never seen before.

“Wait!” Kakashi lunged forward, hand sliding through empty space. “Don’t go! Please. Tell me what you’re working on! Let me help! Don’t leave me here.” The last sentence had been quieter, desperate.

All thoughts of death pushed from his mind, there was only one thing Kakashi wanted. He needed to find Obito. The other boy couldn’t have gone far, could he?

“Obito!” he yelled, searching frantically with all senses available.

He couldn’t smell him, and he couldn’t sense his chakra, but all the same he went racing through the forest. He didn’t care how loud he was being.

“Obito! Obito! Bring me with you! Please!”

His voice disturbed a flock of sleeping birds, but his friend did not reappear. Kakashi didn’t stop. He yelled until his voice was hoarse. He was running so haphazardly at one point he even tripped over a branch, rolling out of the fall in embarrassment.

“Obito!”

Kakashi was correct that Obito was not far. He hid nearby, transporting from tree to tree, watching.

“Maybe you should recruit him,” Tobi suggested. “He seems interested.”

“He wouldn’t understand,” Obito replied, “trust me. The Fourth Hokage was both of our Sensei, remember?”

Obito was grateful that Tobi did not question why they still had not left. To be completely honest, he wasn’t sure himself.  

“Obito!” Kakashi yelled his name again, and a crack was audible in his voice.

Suddenly, to the watchers’ surprise, wood burst out of the ground around Kakashi. It wrapped around him skillfully, keeping him from blindly crashing through the woods as he had been.

“Is that?” Tobi asked.

“I…” Obito transported closer. “It can’t be, can it? That’s impossible.”

Another ninja stepped from the trees. He was a brunet, unfamiliar to Obito. He looked to be their age, maybe a little younger.

“Kakashi-senpai, please calm down,” the boy said. His hands were clasped in a familiar seal, one Obito had used himself.

“Let go of me, Tenzo!”

A Chidori flared to life in Kakashi’s hand, but he was immobilized so thoroughly by the wood he could not move to free himself.

Tenzo’s heart was in his mouth as he watched Kakashi struggle. His Senpai was a mess. Dried tears streaked his cheeks, and blood dripped from his nose.

“Please,” he choked out. “I thought… I was so afraid I was going to lose you tonight.” He reached out almost involuntarily, touching the side of Kakashi’s face. “You saved my life! You’re my best friend, please…”

Kakashi stiffened, but then he stopped struggling. It was true that he could not sense Obito, and he knew in his heart running aimlessly through the forest would accomplish nothing. But he knew what he’d seen. Obito was alive, and that meant he would find him.

“He’s alive,” he told Tenzo, who was looking at him with worry in his eyes.

Guilt welled up in Kakashi. Everything Obito had said was true. He didn’t deserve to get off this easily. And everything he had told himself earlier, about not being selfish like his father, that had been a lie. That was obvious looking at Tenzo’s face. He certainly didn’t deserve it, but the other boy was clearly attached to him.

“Who…?” Tenzo looked around them, confused.

“Obito! I have no idea how, or where he’s been. But he was here tonight. He’s alive!”

Tenzo did not look convinced. “Are you sure? There’s no one here.”

Kakashi’s frustration was mounting. “I know that! He vanished using some Jutsu I’ve never seen before.” Struggling to calm himself he said, “look, I know it sounds insane. But I’m telling the truth. What I came out here to do tonight… it isn’t important anymore. He looked so different, but it was Obito. And I have to understand… I have to understand… everything.”

There was one particular part of Kakashi’s rant that made Tenzo breath easier. This boy he had never know, this ghost from Kakashi’s past; the circumstances might have been suspicious but Tenzo was eternally grateful to him. Kakashi had not said it, but he had a good guess as to why Obito had been forced to reveal himself.

“Alright,” he said, releasing the Jutsu. “I believe you. Something is going on here, and this is a mystery that affects the whole village. I’ll help you look for him.”

No longer supported by the wooden tendrils, Kakashi fell to the ground. Tenzo offered his hand. There were still a lot of things he wanted to ask Kakashi about his encounter with Obito, but he didn’t get the chance.

Three figures dropped down from above, having been racing through the branches of the trees at a breakneck pace. It was so late at night some might even consider it early morning, but it appeared Guy, Kurenai, and Asuma were awake.

A good distance away, Obito still perched in a tree, watching.

“I think we should take our leave,” he told Tobi. “Before one of my former classmates notices us.”

“What about that boy?” Tobi asked. “Could he be the answer to our problems?”

“I can’t tell, but it definitely warrants some investigation. I think I’ll check in with Nagato. I believe he’s recently recruited a former leaf Shinobi named Orochimaru. There might be some answers there.”

Activating his Kamui Obito disappeared, leaving no trace that he had ever been there, and no witnesses aside for Kakashi.  

“Thank goodness we found you,” Guy exclaimed, landing beside Kakashi and Tenzo. “You really had me worried there for a second, Kakashi.”

“We stopped by your apartment,” Asuma elaborated. “Usually I’d be a bit more tactful, but it’s been a long night. We saw the painkillers, and the broken mirror. We know you’re not okay.”

Kakashi winced. Though they were starting to scab over, his knuckle was lacerated with cuts from the glass. He knew he’d left his room a blood covered mess, and strong feelings of embarrassment mixed with anger that they would invade his privacy.

“Tenzo…” Kurenai touched the younger ninja on the shoulder, softly. “Thank you. If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know if we would have made it in time.”

“It wasn’t…” Tenzo protested, but Kurenai had already pulled away from him to hug Kakashi, “me…” he finished.

“Guys!” Kakashi cut them off, and his voice still held the same undercurrent of manic excitement. “Obito was here, tonight.”

“Kakashi, that’s not possible,” Kurenai said, “you know that.”

“I don’t know how, but he’s alive. I think he came to visit Rin.”

“It just doesn’t make any sense!” Guy said. “Where has he been all this time? Where is he now? Please Kakashi, don’t waste your youth dwelling on the past.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I intend to find out.” Kakashi pushed back.

“Enough,” Asuma put a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder, but it was more forceful than it was kind. “You need to get help, and at this point you have no choice in the matter. We all care about you, please, don’t fight this.”

“I may be suicidal but I’m not crazy,” Kakashi snarled, the little bit of truth slipping out despite himself. “He was here.”

“That’s for the medical-nin to decide,” said Asuma.

“Wait,” Tenzo interjected, but the rest of his sentence was lost as Guy began to talk over him. “…I believe him.”

“I always thought ANBU was bad for you,” Guy said. “You should come work with us as an ordinary Jonin. You’re more than talented enough, don’t get me wrong, but that place has to mess with your head. All the scary masks, and not having a name…”

Tenzo found himself trapped on the outskirts. They had all grown up together, it was obvious in everything from their body language to their word choice. He felt like an outsider, and the fact that they were all a few years older than him didn’t help. Maybe they were right, that ANBU wasn’t good for Kakashi. Images from the last mission flashed through his mind. Kakashi would be happier and safer, living a more ordinary life with his friends. Tenzo knew this, but yet he felt his heart nearly stop at the thought of Kakashi leaving him. Because for him, of course, there was no other option.  

There was no swaying the trio of Jonin from their path. Despite the distance Kakashi had attempted to put between himself and anyone else, they were here. And if he ever wanted to get command of Team Ro returned to him, he was going to have to play along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys think??? (Plz tell me) 
> 
> The next chapter is fluffy, at least compared to the rest of this fic. Cherish it, because it won't be that nice like ever again until maybe the very end.


	4. Forced Socialization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Kakayama week! (to anyone who happens to be reading around the time I post this) I am sorry I am bad at prompts and structure, but in honour of this international holiday I have been working extra hard on this fic. That's what it's all about, right? Making content for this great ship? I'm at about 24k right now! I've been making great time.

The evaluations were never pleasant for Kakashi. He was a very private person, and having people pick at his weakest scabs was always uncomfortable regardless of their intentions. He was able to get through it with a scripted smile only because of the goals he held so dear. He’d attempted to make Lord Third understand, but after how poorly that had gone he needed to be back in the action himself, needed to be back in ANBU where the information flowed and he might have some chance of finding a clue about Obito. That was why he lied when they asked him about that night. He knew the answers they wanted to hear, and he would give them to them.

Kakashi picked up some sweet buns from his favourite shop on the edge of the Uchiha district. It was a shame the place was so out of the way; they really made the best pastries in all of Konoha. He was heading over to Tenzo’s, in need of a little honesty after all the bullshit. The boy was a late sleeper when he wasn’t on a mission, and Kakashi figured he hadn’t had breakfast yet.

Tenzo was keeping an ear to the ground in ANBU, and would make sure he wasn’t out of the loop. But most importantly, Tenzo believed him, and Kakashi could tell he wasn’t lying. After therapy session after therapy session and the concerned gaze of Guy and the others, he was even starting to doubt his own sanity. But Tenzo believed him, Tenzo understood.

There was a part of Kakashi that felt guilty about dragging him into this. A long time ago, Kakashi had made a vow not to get attached to anyone or let anyone get attached to him. In this world of Shinobi, it was safer like that. But it seemed like Tenzo had fallen through a loophole. There was no argument that the last few years the other ANBU had been his best friend. He had to be, due to the deliberate effort Kakashi had been making to distance all of his other friends.

The first factor was that Tenzo was on Team Ro. Kakashi’s life was his work, and Tenzo was always at his right hand, the person he trusted most. The other factor was guilt, the most wide-spread motivator in Kakashi’s life. It had been his clumsy actions that had saved Tenzo from ROOT, the only life the other boy had ever known. It was obvious he’d been a fish out of water with his new-found freedom. At first, years ago, Kakashi had pushed him away just like he did with everyone else. But the boy had looked so much like a kicked puppy.

He’d been forced to confront his responsibility in Tenzo’s life. Like it or not, he had become an important person to the boy whose life he’d turned upside down. He liked to believe he’d done the right thing, that Tenzo would have been worse off under Danzo’s thumb, but then again he never seemed to do anything right. So Kakashi had let Tenzo follow him doggedly, as if he did not know what else to do, and in time it had become friendship. Because as hard as Kakashi tried, everyone needed people. And it was so easy with Tenzo, who was quiet, and intelligent, and who understood so much of what he couldn’t put into words.  

Now he needed him more than ever before, when it felt the village itself was against him; like it wished to force him to give up the things he held most dear, to convince him he was insane.

Kakashi knocked on Tenzo’s window, perched precariously on a branch outside. Tenzo was pouring over some paperwork within view, the only food visible a pot of tea. He jumped at the sound, but his face split into a grin when he saw Kakashi.

As soon as the window had been pulled open, Kakashi said, “I’ve brought breakfast.”

“Isn’t it a little late for that?”

Kakashi hopped inside. “Have you eaten?”

There was a pause, then, “…no.”

“I thought so. Me neither.”

Tenzo examined the paper bag. “Is that from that Uchiha shop?”

“Of course.”

“Give it here.” He grabbed it away from Kakashi, who attempted to stop him half-heartedly.

“You think you’re going to get away with taking the best ones?” Kakashi reached into the bag, retrieving a pastry of his own.

“I definitely do, especially since I’ve been risking my neck for you lately. You know it can be considered treason to look at classified documents without permission?”

Suddenly serious, Kakashi took a seat on the couch. “So, have you found anything?”

Tenzo poured them both some tea, taking a seat on the mat across the coffee table. “Nothing that screams Obito to me, but you might notice something I don’t. There are the suspicions about Kiri’s Mizukage being a puppet, of course. Then there’s the unrest in Amegakure. It’s also still a mystery why Kiri wanted the first Hokage’s DNA, or how they even knew it was being kept in that lab.”

“Even peace times aren’t peaceful,” Kakashi commented.

“Not for us ANBU.” Tenzo paused. “How’s that going, by the way? Team Ro’s been split up, all of us being used for different missions. I know for a fact everyone wants you back. You’re the best captain any of us have ever had.”

“Are you so sure the others feel that way?”

“Positive! Konoha is wasting a valuable resource keeping you benched like this.”

“It shouldn’t be that much longer,” Kakashi said, knocking his fist against the wooden table. “I’m a very excellent actor.”

“Kakashi…” Tenzo seemed to be struggling with this next sentence, and Kakashi flinched. So much for getting away from the bullshit. “I still believe you, about Obito. But the counselling, maybe it’s not all bad, you know?”

“Maybe not, if I still needed it. I figured it out on my own that night, that I was being stupid and selfish: worse than my father.” Kakashi spoke quickly, in a rush to get off the subject. He did not meet Tenzo’s eyes. “I’m fine now, and I don’t need their pity.”

“Right…”

Tenzo did not sound convinced, but Kakashi knew him well enough to trust he would not push. That was one of the good things about Tenzo.

“I need to find Obito. That’s what I need right now.” Kakashi brought the conversation back onto what was important. “And I need to get back in the field. All this sitting around isn’t good for me, I know that.”

Tenzo nodded. He knew Kakashi was telling the truth. He knew how much easier it was to outrun the darkness when you had a task to focus on.

“Right, but even if you’re fooling the counselors,” Tenzo said, “they’re not the only ones you’re going to have to convince. Your friends, you know they really believe you’d be better off without ANBU, and blowing them off all the time isn’t helping.”

Kakashi grimaced under his mask. He cared for them, deeply, but he did not enjoy anyone meddling in his life.

“I think they’re reporting directly to the Hokage about your condition,” Tenzo continued. “So maybe some socializing is in order.”

“Convincing them may be slightly more difficult,” Kakashi admitted.

 “I actually ran into Guy yesterday,” Tenzo said. “He told me to tell you that he and a bunch of your other friends are meeting at The Deep Woods Bar tonight. It sounded like you know the place. He said I should come and drag you with me, but I think he was just being polite. I’m just the messenger, since you seem to still be avoiding them. If you want to convince them you’re okay, this is definitely the place to start.”

Kakashi sighed deeply. “I suppose you’re right. But you should come with me. Guy did invite you, after all, and you need to get out more.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Raising an eyebrow, Kakashi fixed Tenzo with a knowing look. Buried deep below the teasing was a secret agenda. Kakashi knew that the more other friends Tenzo made, the less responsibility he had personally. Tenzo depending on him emotionally was a dangerous state of affairs, and although he wasn’t currently contemplating suicide he still accepted that the life of a Shinobi was a short one.

“Sure, sure, I’ll come…” Tenzo groaned, “if it means you’re going. Though I am underage, maybe I shouldn’t--”

Kakashi cut him off. “You’re seventeen, and an active duty Shinobi. There’s not a bar in the village that would turn you away. Less than a year and you’re legal anyways. Don’t be such a nerd.”

“Says you. Do you want to delve into your highly cool and respectable taste in literature?”

They bantered for a little longer, while Tenzo leaked the classified information he had access to, keeping Kakashi up to speed on the happenings within ANBU. While the sun was high in the sky, they went out to train. They sparred together often, and Kakashi helped with any current endeavours of Tenzo to improve his wood style.

That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, they met up before proceeding to their forced socialization. Kakashi looked as aloof as ever, but Tenzo was on edge, and it showed. There was no doubt that he would be the outsider tonight. It was something he was used to, and he was much better with people now than after he’d first left ROOT, but that didn’t mean he still didn’t dread it a little. Kakashi had asked him to come, and he couldn’t say no. Maybe he’d slip away early once everyone was a little drunk.

The Deep Woods Bar was not, in fact, in the deep woods. It had gotten its name from the group of large trees that surrounded the building, despite its location solidly within the village. They would be arriving a little late, not out of the ordinary for Kakashi. When they pushed through the doors into the cheerful interior, Tenzo spotted Guy with a group of five others. He knew Asuma and Kurenai, but three of them were strangers to him. He’d seen them all around, of course. The Leaf Village wasn’t that large, but he knew none of their names.

“Yo.” Kakashi threw up a peace sign as they approached the table.

Conversation stopped as the group of six turned to look at them. A brunet man with a senbon clamped tightly in his teeth turned around in his seat to face Tenzo.

“You’re a miracle worker, kid. We haven’t been able to get Kakashi to come out with us since Guy’s birthday, and I’m pretty sure he lost a bet that time.” He held out a hand for Tenzo to shake. “My name’s Genma, nice to meet you.”

“Tenzo. It’s a pleasure.”

The other two strangers also introduced themselves. There was a girl named Anko, with a dangerous sort of grin, and a man named Raido with a prominent scar across half of his face. Guy was overly enthusiastic, as usual, and it helped to ease the tension a little. Tenzo took a seat next to Kakashi at one of the ends of the booth. They were drinking wine. It was red, with a strangely sweet aftertaste.

A lot of the conversation was reminiscing about their shared past, but Tenzo was not as left out as he had expected. A newcomer provided them with an easy excuse to revisit old stories, and a lot of the conversation was directed in Tenzo’s direction.

“…so!” Anko slurred. “I’ve been working in the lab all day, and I’m exhausted. Then I’m walking home and these two are in the middle of the god damn road, balanced on their heads.”

Guy laughed loudly, smiling a Kakashi. “That was a great contest indeed, my eternal rival!

“He says that,” Kurenai sighed, “but I’m that one that had to carry him to the hospital.”

“Really?” Tenzo asked, incredulous. “Just from a handstand?”

“It was a headstand,” Kakashi corrected. “If our hands touched the ground it would have been cheating.”

Tenzo stifled a laugh. He was beginning to see a whole new side of Kakashi he’d been missing. “Still, I’m still not seeing how it ended in the hospital. Sorry Guy.”

“Don’t be! I take pride in that day, for I won the contest.”

Now Tenzo couldn’t hide his laughter. “You lost, Senpai? Seriously?”

Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder, eyes narrowing in mock seriousness. “Listen… so things may have gotten a bit out of hand. And I may have gotten a pebble the size of a thumbnail lodged in my skull. However! One isn’t training properly if they aren’t pushing their body to the absolute limit. Isn’t that right, Guy?”

“That’s right!” Guy gave a thumbs up, and his teeth seemed to sparkle, even in the dim light of the bar.

“Remember these words of wisdom, my Kohai.” Kakashi ruffled his hair, in a way that Tenzo could only describe as condescending.

“Please,” Radio said, from the other corner of the table, “never listen to anything these two say.”

Kurenai began attempting to conceal her laughter in Asuma’s shoulder and Tenzo realized he was truly enjoying himself. He felt warm and a little bit spinny, but most of all he felt included. He was here with Kakashi, and everything was so casual and nice.

“I say we take this shindig up a notch,” Genma said, leaning forward, a sinister look on his face.  “I say we do some shots. Let’s get that good shit they import from The Land of Wind. You couldn’t get that during the war.”

“That’s a strong liquor,” Kurenai protested. “I’m not sure I want to have _that_ kind of night.”

“Oh, don’t be a pussy, Kurenai!” Anko chided.

The drunken voices of encouragement quickly drowned out the descent, and a tall bottle of clear liquid was brought over to the table, along with enough small glasses for everyone.

“What does it taste like?” Tenzo asked Kakashi. “I’ve never had this before.”

“Let’s just say you’re going to make a face, but I find it gets you the good kind of drunk. That is, if you don’t drink too much of it. Kurenai’s right, it’s strong stuff.”

Genma poured them all a shot, and they toasted. The liquor burned Tenzo’s mouth and throat. He’d drank hard stuff before, but this was a little different. He remembered making a joke about finally catching a look at Kakashi’s mouth, which earned him a punch in the shoulder, but from that point forward the night became a blur of moments not glued together in any coherent way.

There was an arm-wrestling match with Guy in the middle of the bar, which Tenzo knew had drawn a good crowd of the other patrons, placing bets. He did not remember the outcome, but would pretend he had won, despite a nagging feeling that he had not. Then, there was a blurry memory of being in the booth with just Genma, and doing two shots in quick succession. _I can do anything this dude can do_ , Tenzo had thought, revelling in the fact that the drink no longer tasted so bad.

Genma laughed raucously, slinging an arm around his shoulder. “You’re way too cool to be friends with Kakashi. What rock did he find you under, anyways?”

“Think he found me under a root,” Tenzo slurred back, uncaring if Genma got the pun or not. He knew he was hilarious.

The bar was loud, and it smelled like tightly packed bodies and smoke, despite the fact that cigarettes had been banned to the courtyard out back. A pretty girl with a guitar had appeared on the small stage at some point, and her soothing voice flowed effortlessly over the din.

At some point, Kakashi, Asuma, and Raido ended up drifting away from the group to throw kunai at a well warn target in one corner of the room. It was around this time that Tenzo found himself upside-down. He must have made one too many comments about headstands being easy, because Guy was upside down as well, and facing him with a massive grin on his face.

Headstands might have truly been easy, but they certainly weren’t easy for someone as drunk as Tenzo. His legs flailed in every direction, trying desperately to maintain his equilibrium. Guy was too smug. He couldn’t let him win. He was a Shinobi, he could manage a little slight of hand without getting caught. Still upside-down Tenzo formed a quick seal. The wooden floor below Guy’s head tilted a little, though he must not have been as subtle as he’d thought because Anko was quick to grab Guy’s legs, steadying him.

“We’ll do this together,” she proclaimed. “Black-ops over there thinks he’s slick.”

“Shut up,” Tenzo slurred. “Thas’ classified… And you’re cheating!”

“We never explicitly set the rules.” She gripped Guy’s legs tighter. “Anything goes. You opened this door.”

“I’m not seeing my boy Tenzo go down like this!” Genma said, grabbing his legs a second before he would have toppled over.

“Good teamwork guys,” Kurenai said sarcastically, watching amused from the sidelines.   

The blood was rushing to his head, and suddenly Tenzo felt ill. The room had already been spinning a little when he was upright, and now it swayed like the deck of a ship. He was going to be sick.

“Genma,” he tried, kicking his legs a little.

The older boy didn’t hear him, too engrossed in talking smack with Anko, their voiced raised.

“Genma! Let me down, I feel sick.” 

There was no malicious intent, only a loud bar and the adrenaline of the moment. Genma was quite drunk as well, though he held it a little better than Tenzo. At this point Genma was practically supporting all of Tenzo’s weight, his head barely brushing the floor.

Tenzo didn’t want to be sick, not here in front of everyone. Suddenly everything was too overwhelming, the noise, the smells, Genma’s hands wrapped around his legs. His struggling had done nothing to free him, and his nausea was rushing up too fast for him to think of a logical means of escape.

“Let me down,” he tried again, “…please.”

“Genma!” Kakashi’s voice sliced through the noise of the bar like a sword.

Suddenly Tenzo was on the floor. Everything still spun, but he managed to swallow the bile rising in his throat. There were legs all around him, and he feared being trampled in the hubbub of the bar. Somehow, he managed to get back to their table, though he did not remember how. He was alone now, leaning heavily on his hand. He grappled with the nausea, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to focus on his chakra. That somehow only made him dizzier. He needed to get out of here, before he embarrassed himself further, or dragged down everyone else’s night.

“Hey,” Kakashi’s voice cut through his stupor. “Move over a little.”

Tenzo scooted further into the booth. The girl with the guitar was gone now, and people were dancing to the music coming out of a speaker. Kakashi flopped down onto the bench next to him, slinging an arm around his shoulders.

“You feeling any better?” he asked.

“Mhm,” Tenzo acknowledged.

“Is this the drunkest you’ve ever been?”

Tenzo still didn’t say anything, too embarrassed to even meet Kakashi’s eyes.

“I’ve been an awful influence, it seems,” he laughed, “though I’m going to make myself feel better by blaming Genma.”

Tenzo’s anxiety began to ebb away slowly, now that he wasn’t alone. Kakashi’s voice was soothing, and he smelled good, like ozone, old fabric, and the most boring kinds of laundry detergent. As Tenzo relaxed, Kakashi even managed to get a bit of slurred conversation out of him, but by the time Kurenai and Anko made their way back over to the table, he wasn’t saying much of anything. Tenzo wasn’t passed out, but he’d let himself slump down so his head rested on Kakashi’s shoulder.

The two were both more than happy to sit in silence, both beginning to tire of the high level of social interaction the night entailed. It was enough to enjoy to warmth the alcohol brought, eyes half closed and listening to the music.

Anko had just finished a monologue about which Chunin level ninja she’d bang. Kurenai’s responses were mostly sarcastic, and Kakashi was only half listening. Tenzo was dead to the world, eyes only fluttering open every once in a while to stare blankly out at the dance floor. His cheek still rested against Kakashi’s chest, and Kakashi tightened his grip around the younger man, keeping him at least partially upright.

“Well if this isn’t the cutest thing I’ve ever been forced to see,” Anko commented.

“Poor guy,” said Kurenai. Then, gesturing to the empty bottle in the middle of the table, “I warned you guys that stuff’s strong.”

“Nah, he’s just a lightweight,” Anko drawled. “He can’t have drunk much more than me.”

“He is only seventeen,” Kakashi admitted, looking down at Tenzo to see if he was paying attention.

He nuzzled his face into Kakashi’s shirt, seemingly oblivious.

“Really!” Kurenai looked mortified. “I didn’t even realize he was any younger than me. You look older than your age, Tenzo,” she said, with no response.

She was right, Kakashi realized. Tenzo was almost as tall as him, and maybe a bit broader at the shoulders. It had all happened overnight. One day Tenzo had been the long-haired kid he’d rescued from ROOT, and the next he was a man, Kakashi’s best operative, and his best friend as well if he allowed himself to have such things.  

“Come on,” he said, gently detaching himself from Tenzo. “We should get going, before you fall asleep. I don’t want to have to carry you home.”

“Huh?” Tenzo asked, rubbing his eyes. “We’re leaving?”

Kakashi nodded. “It’s been a good night, but I’m tired. I’ve stayed longer than I ever meant to.”

They both got to their feet, and Tenzo stumbled, almost falling. Kakashi steadied him.

“I’m glad you came out with us tonight,” Kurenai said. “I’ve been having a really great time. You had fun too, right?”

Kakashi nodded. “It’s been great.”

“You look good,” she said. “It makes me happy to see that.”

Kakashi raised a hand in farewell, the implication in her last words going unacknowledged. Tenzo managed to walk in a fairly straight line all on his own, but Kakashi hovered close, ready to catch him. As they neared the door, Kakashi was tackled buy Guy, pulled tight into a blubbering hug. The green clad ninja went on and on about youth, and happiness, and about how great the night had been. Despite feeling a little claustrophobic, Kakashi couldn’t help but smile underneath his mask.

Out in the cool night air, Tenzo flashed him a dopey smile. “Your friends are really cool.”

“I know. I still have no idea why you guys put up with me.”

Tenzo swayed dangerously and Kakashi steadied him, wondering if it would just be easier to have the other boy lean on him.

“I like hanging out with you so much,” Tenzo blurted out, too drunk to be his normal reserved self. “Not just tonight because you saved me from being a drunk mess, but all the time.”

Kakashi didn’t know why those words held so much weight coming from Tenzo, but they did.

“You’re a good friend, Tenzo,” he said, because he didn’t know what else to say.

“Do you know you saved my life?” he asked, and the words all ran together into one long one. “And not just because you decided not to kill me. You changed everything for me, Kakashi.” The last sentence had been the clearest thing he’d said in quite some time.

“Don’t get all sappy on me, now.” Kakashi punched him playfully in the arm, trying desperately to conceal how much the words affected him.

“I owe you everything,” Tenzo said. “I’ll stand with you forever. We’re going to find Obito. And we’re going to find anything else you’ve ever wanted. I’m sure of it!”

“Big words,” Kakashi said. “In this world nothing ever goes as planned.”

Their walking pace had slowed considerably as they talked. They were in a nice part of Konoha. The buildings that lined the streets were spacious wooden houses which curved rooves and back gardens. Tenzo loved the architecture here, but tonight he was much too focused on Kakashi to even notice it.

“Obito said to me,” Kakashi said softly, looking down at his feet, “that if he had to keep living in hell, then so did I. I think he might be right, about this world being hell. But that makes it so much worse that so many good people are trapped here to suffer.”

Tenzo’s hand on his shoulder dragged them to a stop. Before Kakashi knew what was happening he was enveloped in a tight hug.

Tenzo face was buried in his shoulder so tightly his words were barely audible. “It’s not hell so long as you’re here with me.”

They parted, and the goofiness of moments prior was gone. Tenzo’s face, though still clearly showing intoxication, was serious.

“That day it felt like,” he began, struggling to make coherent sentences. “It felt like I was banging my fists against glass, and you were on the other side, and I couldn’t reach you no matter what I did. I thought it was going to happen again, that I was going to lose you.”

“Oh…” What did one say, to something like that?

“I used to have dreams about the other kids in the test tubes,” Tenzo admitted, dark eyes intense. “But now it’s you there, floating right across from me. You’re right there, but I just can’t reach you. And I’m so afraid you’re going to die like I watched them die.”

Kakashi pulled him into another hug, but it was not a gentle one. Tenzo felt Kakashi’s breath on his face, even through the mask, and his heart beat faster.

“Stop it…” Kakashi’s voice was heavy. “I’m alive, alright? And I’m sorry for what… I almost did. It was selfish. We’re both here, and alive, but I can’t guarantee we’ll stay that way. That’s the thing about being Shinobi. That’s the thing about our cursed world; that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

With Kakashi so close to him, even drunk Tenzo had run out of words. Then the moment had passed and Kakashi was walking away.

“Come on,” he called. “Let’s get you home. You should make sure you drink plenty of water, or else you’re going to regret it tomorrow. Trust me on—” Kakashi stiffened, words cutting off abruptly.

“What is it Kakashi-senpai?” Tenzo asked, falling into step beside him.

Kakashi gazed intently at the roof of one of the nearby houses, as if looking for something. “It’s nothing. I just thought I saw… never mind, it was nothing.”

On another roof a few streets away, Obito cursed under his breath. That had been a close one. It was stupid to underestimate Kakashi, no matter how drunk.

“You going to try to grab him now?” Tobi asked.

The clone had been talking a lot less lately, and while the silence was a blessing, it had Obito worried. He could feel the being’s chakra while it was wrapped around him, and he could feel how weak it was becoming.

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea,” Tobi warned, in his regular sing-song voice. “That boy looks like he could put up quite the fight, and we are in the middle of the leaf village which means infinite reinforcements. The way I’m feeling right now I don’t think I’d be any help at all, and don’t forget you’ve only got half a human body.”

“Shut up,” Obito snarled. “Of course I’m not going to do that. I have a plan, just like I always do. I was just here to do a little surveillance.”

“Oooh a plan. Diabolical as usual, I assume.”

Obito smirked. “We’re not going to have to do anything. I’ll drop a few clues in the right places, and he’ll come to us, I guarantee it. Kakashi is hell bent on finding me, and Orochimaru’s experiment will be right behind him.”

“How can you be so confident?”

“Because I’m always right. I was right about Nagato, wasn’t I? Trust me, that boy reminds me a little of Rin, and I mean that in literally the only way I could say it and have it be an insult.”

“And you had me believing Rin was a goddess without a single earthly imperfection.”

“She was, aside from one fatal flaw. For some unfathomable reason, she was in love with Kakashi Hatake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I love anyone who tells me what they think. I love writing this, but I also love validation. 
> 
> I like telling you guys the genre of the next chapter as a little teaser. The next one is pretty action oriented. (I like to write the occasional fight scene.)


	5. Missing-nin

This was more nerve-wracking than any reconnaissance mission Tenzo had ever been on, and as a ninja whose Jutsu made him ideal for information gathering, he’d been on quite a few. Then again, never before had he had to spy on a Kage. But it was the fact that it was his Kage that really did it.

Tenzo had been dragging his feet leaving the Hokage’s building after his guard duty shift, when a flushed man he’d recognized as being in charge of the messenger hawks had run past. It was the markings on the outside of the scroll the man carried that caught Tenzo’s attention. This was an ANBU report, from someone stationed in the land of water. Watching from a position merged into the Hokage’s office ceiling, Tenzo had learned that the woman who had sent it was dead. There would be no body. She had destroyed herself, knowing she stood no chance against the enemy on whom she was reporting.

There was a reason this was so urgent. The Third Hokage stared down at the scroll on his desk, deep lines opening up across his face like wounds.

“I do not look forward to telling Danzo about this,” the aging man finally spoke. “He has been pushing me hard about the Uchiha, as of late. I wished to ignore it, to hope that my village was not falling apart from the inside, but I cannot ignore reports of the Sharingan in the land of water when there is no reason for it to be there.”

“That clan…” said the messenger, standing at attention stiffly before the desk. “To attack one of our own like this. I’ve never trusted them.”

“Please…” Sarutobi signed deeply, “don’t say that. You understand that I must ask for complete discretion from you on this matter. No one can know.”

Tenzo was torn in two different directions. One was to disappear quickly, before he was noticed and thrown in prison for spying on this highly classified meeting, but the other was to reveal himself. Being raised by Danzo, he did have a slight distrust of the Uchiha, but there was part of him that wanted to defend them in the face of another likely suspect.

It had to be Obito. The message had described the Uchiha as being surrounded by some sort of strange, white substance, a description that matched the one Kakashi had given him. There was surely unrest within the village. Tenzo felt it when he watched Itachi out of the corner of his eyes, as he was forced to spy on his own family like they were criminals. But this problem was a separate one.

They had a lead now. He needed to tell Kakashi, though his stomach clenched at the thought of what his Senpai would do if it turned out Obito was an enemy of the leaf. There was a lot that did not make sense, and if the village was going to jump to the wrong conclusions and dismiss what Kakashi had seen, then they would have to look into it themselves.

He hurried to Kakashi’s apartment, and had only knocked twice when the door was pulled open.

“Tenzo! I was just about to come find you.” It was rare for any emotion to be heard in Kakashi’s voice, but today he sounded excited. “I’ve been taken off leave. Team Ro is back together. We should have a new mission as soon as tomorrow.”

Cringing internally, Tenzo accepted the fact that what he was about to say would make things worse instead of better. But it was what Kakashi wanted, and he would not lie to him.

“I have a lead,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “Can we talk inside?”

Kakashi nodded, backing up. Tenzo’s words were processing slowly. “A lead…  About…?”

“Obito,” Tenzo said, pulling the door shut behind them. “I overheard a meeting I definitely should not have overheard.”

Kakashi’s demeanor changed in an instant. He was suddenly intense, almost desperate. There was the kind of sadness in is eyes that was active. At least it wasn’t the kind that made you give up, but Tenzo still wished he could save Kakashi from it. Maybe the only way to do that was find Obito and the closure the other man desperately needed.

“He’s in the land of water,” Tenzo explained. “But Kakashi… he attacked an ANBU, she died after sending the report. Because of the Sharingan I think the village is going to blame the Uchiha. Should we say something? Try to convince them?”

It was clear Kakashi was thinking very hard. “Why would he…” he muttered, almost to himself. “I need to find him.”

“What should we do?” Tenzo tried again.

“They won’t believe us,” Kakashi said. “No matter if you believe me or not, we already know what they think of me. I tried to explain to the Hokage already, I thought maybe he would understand… I already said everything we could say: that him being alive might hint at something bigger going on, about his strange Jutsu. Saying it again won’t make any difference. There’s only one choice. I’m going to have to go after him myself.”

“We’ll find him together,” said Tenzo. “Going into enemy territory alone is a bad idea.”

“Tenzo, I can’t drag you into this. I’ll be a missing-nin. This will be far too dangerous.”

“More reason not to go alone,” Tenzo pushed. “I hate to say this, but Obito might not be a friend of the leaf. We have no idea what he’s been doing all these years or what his plan is. You have no perspective, sending you alone would be a mistake. Maybe the village can’t see past their prejudices, but I still want to protect it. You’re doing this for yourself, and that’s okay, but I’m doing it for the village.” There was a pause. “And for you.”

Kakashi did not immediately respond, and Tenzo shifted uncomfortably, heart beating too fast.

“If you leave me behind I’ll tell them everything. Where you’re going—”

Kakashi cut him off. “Alright! It will be good to have you along.”

Tenzo beamed.

“We leave tonight,” Kakashi said. “Wear your ANBU gear. Acting like we’re on a secret mission should buy as some time before the village comes after us.”

After the sun had long set, Tenzo slipped silently through the village. In the hooded white cloak and mask he looked like a spirit, which may have been what the designer of the uniform had been going for. The moon was not visible, hidden behind a thick cover of storm clouds. He hadn’t even reached Kakashi’s apartment when he felt a presence beside him. He turned, and the familiar white wolf mask stared him down with its one red eye.

“Are you ready?” Kakashi asked. “You can still turn back. It’s wrong of me to—”

“I thought we’d already been over this. I’m coming.”

They exited the village through one of the secret passage used by ANBU. It was too easy, too normal, like this was just another mission, like after tonight they wouldn’t be missing-nin. They moved fast from tree to tree, a gruelling pace set by Kakashi. He wasn’t sure if he was running from his mistakes, or towards what he viewed as his only chance of redemption, but he was running, and he couldn’t stop.

His head was such a mess he barely payed attention to the outside world, a luxury he only afforded himself because he knew Tenzo had his back. The most painful question on his mind was if Tenzo was right, when he said Obito might be an enemy. But an enemy to whom? He wasn’t an enemy to Kakashi. That was impossible. He would pull Obito from his dark path. Or, if whatever it was he was doing made sense, join him on it. Obito had said that his plan would allow him to see Rin again. Kakashi wondered about himself, what he would be willing to do to make that a reality.

So Obito had attacked a member of ANBU. There had to be a reason. Obito was a hero, his hero. Although it had taken him a long time to admit it, he’d always admired the other boy. Then Obito had saved his life, and given him his eye… Kakashi wondered if he would want it back.

Tenzo had been talking and he hadn’t heard a word of it.

“I’m sorry,” Kakashi asked, shaking himself. “What were you saying?”

“Just…” Tenzo stammered. “Just that it will be alright. We will find him.”

“And what if he’s an enemy?” Kakashi shot back, voice too hard, searching for answers neither of them had.

“I…”

“There has to be a reason for what he’s doing,” Kakashi said. “We need to give him a chance to explain. We need to go into this with an open mind. If you can’t do that I can’t bring you with me.”

“Of course.” There was a moment of silence where all that could be heard was the sound of feat on branches. “What I know,” continued Tenzo, “is that you would have killed yourself if he hadn’t appeared when he did. I wouldn’t have made it in time. And for that, I think he deserves a million chances. For that, I am eternally grateful to him.”

“He saved my life before too,” Kakashi said, quietly. “And I couldn’t even keep the last promise I ever made to him. I owe him so much. I need to find him, need to repay my debt.”

“If that’s what you need, I’ll do anything I can to help you do it.”

Kakashi only stopped for the night when it felt like his legs were going to give out. As they landed on the forest floor he noticed that Tenzo was shaking, sweat dripping down his face. That was just like him, not complaining until he was passed out cold. Sometimes Kakashi felt bad about Tenzo’s unwavering loyalty and obedience, but tonight it was necessary. They had no time to rest.

“Tenzo?” Kakashi asked.

About half an hour ago, the dark clouds that swirled above had opened, and light rain threatened to increase as morning approached.

The boy nodded, kneeling and pressing his hand to the earth. A modest structure appeared, smaller than Tenzo’s usual creations, but more than sufficient. He slumped forward, hitting the wet grass with a thump. Kakashi could tell his chakra was near empty.

“Damn it Tenzo.” Kakashi’s voice was apologetic. “If you can’t move tomorrow, I can’t promise I’ll be able to wait for you. Obito might not stay in one place very long.”

“No, don’t. I’ll just have a few food pills. I’ll be fine.”

Tenzo attempted to get to his feet with little success. Sighing, Kakashi lifted him up, slinging one of Tenzo’s arms over his own shoulders. He practically carried Tenzo to the tiny cabin, and let the boy rest against the wall as he spread out both of their bedrolls. He made sure Tenzo had some water and a food pill before passing out. There were only a few hours until dawn, but Kakashi knew they would sleep past it. He needed his rest to. He couldn’t allow his eagerness to find Obito lead to him stumbling into enemy territory half asleep.

By the time they woke the rain had stop, leaving the forest dripping under the cool morning sun. They made excellent time that day, spurred on by determination and food pills. They kept running into the next night, as they approached the border into the land of water. The small bit of mainland owned by the country was a thin peninsula which did not provide many options when it came to border crossing. However, they were still too close to the site of his doomed fight from the last mission for Kakashi’s liking.

Missions to the land of water were always a tactical nightmare. Once you left the mainland escape was a lot more difficult. Kakashi hoped they could find a clue without having to get on a boat. Tenzo had not caught the exact location of the ANBU scoot who had fought Obito, but the leaf never sent operatives far past the border. It just wasn’t worth the risk when it came to Kirigakure.

Soon after crossing the border they ditched their ANBU masks and headbands. They would keep the cloaks and swords, but from this point forward they held affiliation to no village. There was a sad sort of finality to it, as they weighed their gear down with stones and dropped them into a lake. It was the best tactical choice, and if they succeeded in their mission, and if the village decided to allow them back, new headbands were easy to come by. But that was a lot of ifs.

The silence stretched between them as these integral parts of their identity disappeared beneath the surface. Kakashi tried to read Tenzo’s face. The boy’s hair was starting to get shaggy again, and without his faceplate mist-dampened bangs hung down over his eyes. With an annoyed grunt, Tenzo attempted to slick them back, pulling his hood back up. It was a humid night, but they all were in the land of water. Finally looking up, he flashed Kakashi a smile.

They’d agreed they would keep going until they reached a town. It was safest not to travel as Shinobi, instead stopping at inns and walking along roads. After all, near people was where the information flowed. That day they had set a more reasonable pace, and Tenzo did not look near passing out like he had the previous night.

All the same, Kakashi felt it better to ask. “How you feeling? You good to keep going? I say we stick to the ground from here on. It’s less conspicuous.”

Tenzo nodded. “I’m good to go.”

In synch, they both reached into their pouches to pull out a food pill. From that point forward they tried to keep their running speed reasonable as they moved across the forest floor. Their exhaustion made it easier. They were simple travelers now, not Shinobi. 

Soon, they emerged from the forest into an area of swamp land. Far across the open expanse there was a path, the first sign of civilization they had seen in quite some time. It was more of a boardwalk, raised on wooden struts above the mud. Using a slightly weaker version of the water walking technique, the pair moved through the reeds without sinking knee deep into the fowl smelling ground.

They both stiffened at the same time as they sensed the presence. It was a great chakra, almost too large to be coming from a person.

“Kakashi?” Tenzo asked.

The other ninja’s only response was to move so they stood back to back. Both drew their swords, poised and ready.

A slow-moving river flowed through the swamp. From its murky depths, something rose. It was a massive man: a giant with orange hair and sharpened teeth. He smiled at them, and it looked hungry. On his back was a large sword wrapped in bandages. They could feel its presence like it was alive.

He walked slowly towards them, both boys facing him now, waiting for him to make the first move.

“Is that…?” Tenzo asked.

Kakashi nodded grimly. “One of the seven swordsmen of the mist.”

“I pleasure to meet you,” the man rumbled. “My name is Fuguki and this…” he pulled the massive sword from his back, “is Samehada.”

The sword released a low growl, like it wasn’t really a sword at all, and instead some kind of beast.

“It’s hungry,” Fuguki continued, “and it tells me it doubts two pipsqueaks like you will be able to satisfy its appetite. I, on the other hand, feel like maybe you’ll give us an interesting fight. I have no idea who you are, only that this is a covert mission that came straight from the Mizukage himself.”

The words didn’t make sense to Kakashi, and he looked at Tenzo to make sure he hadn’t misheard. Tenzo looked back at him, equally baffled.

“Someone knew you were coming, kids.” The sinister words hung in the air for a moment, then the giant charged.

Tenzo’s hands slammed together, and they were both lifted up on a wooden platform, held up by a pillar as thick as a tree. Samehada collided with it, going almost all the way through in one blow. The platform tilted, as gravity did the rest of the work.

Kakashi activated his Chidori, flipping off in one direction. Tenzo went in the other, creating another wooden pillar for himself to land on. Landing in the swamp, Kakashi pooled his chakra into the bottom of his feet, springing at the man at high speeds. His Sharingan spun, anticipating Fuguki’s swing. The man was fast, for someone so fat. Kakashi’s back only flew over the sword by a few inches, as shark scales ripped through the bandages.

He didn’t manage to make full contact with his Chidori, but he came close enough the lightening scorched the man’s clothes a little. As Kakashi landed, roots shot from the ground. They attempted to wrap around Fuguki as he slashed through them with the sword. These did not hinder Kakashi. To the contrary, he ran along one of the larger ones, using it to get the height he needed for another strike.

Kakashi jumped straight down at the enemy, Chidori screaming. At the same time, Fuguki tripped backwards over one of Tenzo’s roots. Their combination had been perfect, but Samehada blocked the lightening blade just in time. To Kakashi’s shock, the chakra was pulled right from his hand, sucked into the sword until all that was left was his fingers The jab made contact, and Kakashi’s hand was shredded by the sharkskin.

Fuguki landed on his back with a thud, and as Kakashi stumbled back clutching his bloody hand to his chest, wood shot out of the mud. It bound all of Fuguki’s limbs, and wrapped around his neck.

“Kakashi!” Tenzo lifted him up on a pillar of wood so they were both at the same level.

“I’m fine,” Kakashi said, taking the momentary lull to quickly wrap a bandage around his hand.

Tenzo made a few signs, adding some thicker pieces of wood to their captive. But Samehada, which had fallen to the ground beside Fuguki suddenly began to move on its own. To their shock, a mouth opened at the blades tip, and it wiggled across the mud like it truly was an animal. Its sharp teeth tore through the wood, freeing its master.

Making some hand signs, Fuguki brought his hair to life. The long ginger strands grew longer and sharper, flying towards both of them at the same time. Kakashi jumped off of Tenzo’s pillar, slashing through the hair with his sword. He rolled across the mud, but when he righted himself he saw that Tenzo had not been fast enough.

The other man was completely wrapped in the hair, his arms pinned uselessly to his sides.

Fuguki laughed, a deep rumbling sound. “I knew this would be a good fight. You’re both young, but it would be a mistake to underestimate you.”

Tenzo’s face was contorted in pain, and to Kakashi’s horror another clump of Fuguki’s hair, pointed at the tip like a spear began to move towards his friend. He only had one attack fast enough to reach Tenzo in time. Despite the pain it caused his injured hand, Kakashi activated his Chidori. He severed the hair holding Tenzo just in time, and the pair tumbled to the ground. Fuguki’s attacked swerved, heading down towards both of them.

“Wood locking wall!” Tenzo slammed his hand against the ground, and a domed shield shot up around them.

For a moment, all they could hear was each other’s breath. Then, something smashing into the top of the dome, sending cracks down the centre. Tenzo’s defences were not easy to penetrate. The swordsman must have possessed monstrous strength. Kakashi’s hand went to his sword. He met Tenzo’s eyes, and the other man nodded. As the shield splintered completely, they both jumped at Fuguki, blades drawn.

Both Kakashi and Tenzo were skilled swordsmen, and after hours of training together their timing was perfect. However their thin metal blades felt like toothpicks when compared to Samehada. They could block a strike, but only for a moment, as the overwhelming weight of the thing was too much even for them. It was only through teamwork that they stood any chance at all. Fuguki’s fighting style was on the slower side, and they both darted around him like striking snakes, attacking from every angle.

Openings were hard to come by however, as Fuguki’s hair moved separate from his body, and could act as an excellent shield. Tenzo’s wood release made the battlefield more dynamic. With a combination of his Sharingan and how well he knew the other man’s style, Kakashi knew where the wood was going to appear even before it did. The thick tendrils were useful, giving the shinobi the ability to attack from above as well, and hindering Fuguki’s movements, tripping him up.

Kakashi managed to land one hit to the man’s stomach. His sword plunged through the fat, buried to the hilt. He barely managed to pull it free. Blood soaked Fuguki’s clothes, but the wound hardly seemed to affect him. This called for a less direct approach.

The pair switched formations slightly. Kakashi went on the defensive while Tenzo attacked full force with a flurry of fast-paced attacks. At this point, they were completely surrounded by the results of the wood style. It varied from what looked almost like living trees, to beams and boards you might find in a house. Subtly, Kakashi began to thread razor wire. He threw shuriken, and hung it himself as he moved around the battlefield. There was no worry that Tenzo would not pick up on what he was doing. In battle, after all these years fighting side by side, it was like they could read each other’s minds. 

Tenzo upped the ante of his attacks, forcing Fuguki backwards into the centre of the trap. He aimed for a low blow, but was forced to roll across the ground as Samehada crashed down. Bog water splashed up around them. Perched above on what looked like a root, Kakashi pulled the wire attached to one of his fingers. Like a spider web, there was suddenly wire cutting into Fuguki from all sides. It wrapped around his neck, and cut his face. It was like a cocoon, more wire visible than body.

Tenzo attempted to add wood restraints, but he wasn’t fast enough. Like a rabid animal Fuguki tore himself free. He was completely bloody, but somehow still smiling, blood dripping down over his sharpened teeth. With a booming battle cry he charged at Tenzo, Samehada raised.

Kakakshi didn’t think, leaping down at Fuguki. His foot made contact with the man’s face. He’d infused chakra into his sole and there was a crack. Fuguki hit the ground, but so did Kakashi, bouncing and rolling across the mud. On his knees, Fuguki launched a barrage of sharpened hair, like a porcupine shootings its quills. Kakashi held up his sword, but knew it was not enough to protect his entire body. The attack never hit. The senbon like needles lodged in a plank of wood which appeared like an extension of Tenzo’s arms.

They were both tired, their chakra supplies dangerously low, whereas the bulky swordsman’s chakra seemed near infinite. It’s the blade, Kakashi realized. Samehada was absorbing their chakra. They had to end this quickly. The longer the fight dragged on the worse their chances looked.

He wouldn’t be able to maintain a Chidori for very long, not with his injured hand. All the same, Kakashi summoned the burning lightening, running straight at Fuguki. He used Samehada as a springboard, the scales tearing through his sandal and into his foot. He missed his target of Fuguki’s head, but did what he could as he fell, giving the man a much-needed haircut. Orange strands fell to the ground, leaving the swordsman’s hair almost as short as Tenzo’s. The only problem was Kakashi didn’t think he had another Chidori in him, and with the state his foot was in he wasn’t even sure he could run.

On instinct, he brought his sword up to block Samehada. Sparks flew as metal made contact with scale, then the strange creature seemed to flex, and his blade snapped. Holding little more than a hilt, time seemed to slow down for Kakashi. He took a few limping steps backwards, but Fuguki did not swing at him. He had not noticed at first, as the swordsman was so covered in gore, but fresh blood bubbled from the man’s mouth. Samehada fell to the ground, and Fuguki slid backwards away from him. Only then did Kakashi notice the massive stake which had ripped through Fuguki’s entire lower body.

Tenzo had done it, he realized. The fight was over. Fuguki’s legs were barely attached to the rest of his body. There was no coming back from that. There was a loud noise, as a wooden dome slammed together around the living sword. Not too far away Tenzo stood, panting hard.

They were certainly a lot worse for wear, but the fight was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love everyone who reads, comments, and hits that little heart. Here, have one back <3 kudos to all my lovely readers. Hope you don't mind the occasional fight scene. I enjoy writing them, but I promise I won't overdo it. 
> 
> Next time on LIH: is it more action? is it fluff? is it angst? It's all three! There's only one thing I'll tell you for sure, and it's that I'm Sorry.......... is the title of the next chapter.


	6. I'm Sorry

Fuguki was still alive. It would not be for much longer, but Kakashi intended to make use of it. Focusing his remaining chakra to his Sharingan, he closed his other eye.

“I’ve got some questions for him,” he told Tenzo.

The other boy nodded, the same questions surly on his mind.

Kakashi dropped to his knees, focusing his piercing red gaze on the swordsman. “You said someone knew we were coming. How? What interest does Kiri have in us?”

This was only the first of his two questions. The second was to extract any information the fat man might have about Obito. However, he got neither answer. A group of shuriken thrown with enormous force hit Fuguki in the throat. They cut deep into the esophagus, and more importantly the vocal cords. While the man drowned in his own blood, they would get no answers.

Tenzo practically carried Kakashi away from the body, trying to put a safe amount of distance between them and the new enemy who had emerged from nothing. He barely looked human: blue skin and gills like a fish. Or, more accurately, like a shark. He smiled at them, and he had the same pointed, predatory teeth as Fuguki.

“Sorry boss,” he addressed the dying man. “I don’t know who that masked shadow man is, but I doubt he’d want you talking.” With a kick, he shattered Tenzo’s wooden dome, and Samehada jumped to his outstretched hand. “Oh, and I’ll be taking this.”

This was bad. Tenzo looked exhausted, and Kakashi’s foot and hand were torn to pieces. This new opponent hefted the massive sword easily.

“Go Tenzo,” Kakashi shoved the other man away from him. “Run! I was wrong to drag you into this. I’ll hold him off as long as I can. Run and don’t stop until you’re back in Konoha.”

“Not this again,” Tenzo shot back. “It may have worked last time, but you’re not my captain right now, and I would _never_ leave you.”

“Got to hand it to you,” said the shark man, “Fuguki couldn’t have been easy to kill, but it looks like you two are at the end of your rope.

Tenzo attempted to shield them with his wood style, but Samehada smashed through the pillars easily. There was no getting away. The blade hit Kakashi, tearing through the flesh on his left side. It scraped from his knee to his neck, sharkskin like spikes. Though the wounds were more gory than they were fatally deep, Samehada took his chakra greedily, and Kakashi felt the light fading. It hit him all at once: the realization.

He didn’t want to die.

He couldn’t without seeing Obito again, without saving him like he’d saved Kakashi. He couldn’t die while Tenzo was in danger, danger that he’d put him in.

“No!”

Through the fog, and the pain, Kakashi heard Tenzo’s voice, but it was very far away.

Tenzo watched Kakashi hit the ground, and there was so much blood. He couldn’t remember a time he’d been more afraid. It felt like some awful creature had its bony fingers wrapped around his heart. It was squeezing, tighter and tighter, and he couldn’t breathe. Chakra welled up from a place he had not know existed, brought forth by desperation.

He slammed his hand against the ground. “Mobile core!”

The ground below the Kiri Shinobi dropped, a massive pit opening in the swamp. Tenzo had only attempted to use the Jutsu a handful of times with varying levels of effect, but this time the area of the earth he’d moved was massive. Maybe it was how soft soil was here, or maybe something else. The water in the surrounding ground ran down into the new indentation, creating mini waterfalls.

The shark began to form hand signs, but he did not get to finish. From all sides of the pit, roots shot out, filling the space all the way to the top. He was caught in a web of wood, momentarily motionless. Tenzo did not stop there, creating a dome over his prison, then another larger one on top of it. The enemy was embolized, but Tenzo knew that it wasn’t for long. The man had chakra unlike anything he had ever felt, like some sort of monster. The prison would not hold him forever, and this was not a fight Tenzo could win.

They had to run. Kakashi’s was half submerged in the mud, his blood mixing with the murky water. Tenzo tried not to look too closely as he lifted him. Kakashi and him were about the same size, and he was very tired, but there was no other option but to run. Tenzo took to the boardwalk, heading further into the land of water.

Hopefully their enemy would expect them to go in the opposite direction, and it was also this way that he was more likely to find a village. People meant medical attention, and they were still far enough from Kiri that they would probably not be noticed. Fuguki had said his mission was covert, which could mean that no more reinforcements were coming after the shark man. Maybe that was just wistful thinking, but he had to cling to something.

The forest was covered in mist, looking very otherworldly and far away. Tenzo felt lightheaded, but yet he did not stop. All there was was his heart beating loud in his chest, his feet on the wood, and Kakashi’s blood staining his ANBU cloak red.

Eventually, his toe caught on a loose board, sending them both crashing to the ground. Though he was not a sensory type, Tenzo could still generally sense if there was an enemy nearby, especially if they had a chakra as vast as the man they’d left in the swamp. It felt like they were alone, perhaps the only living creatures in this ghostly world. Kakashi had lost too much blood, and he had to do something.

Peeling off Kakashi’s cloak which was more brown and red than its original white, Tenzo examined the wounds. Samehada had shredded Kakashi’s armour so thoroughly, it was simple to pull the rest out of the way to expose his chest. This was not even close to the most blood Tenzo had ever seen, and it was not the first time he’d been in the position of losing a comrade. He’d been raised since childhood to have no emotion, to detach himself from the situation and function perfectly. But despite all that, his hands were shaking because this was different. This was Kakashi.

“I think I understand,” he whispered, as he searched for the bandages. “I think I finally understand you. How, after all these years, you feel you can’t live in a world without her, why it seems you’d chase him halfway across the world.”

He didn’t have a name for the feelings he was having. He was not equipped to deal with them, having never had to before. He’d never had a family or friends, only imagined relationships with children two panes of glass away, and the cold people who’d taught him how to hold a sword. No one had ever taught him the words for such things, but he knew that Kakashi couldn’t die.

“I need you,” he said, like a plea, and like a confession.

Taking a few deep breaths, Tenzo calmed himself. He was still a Shinobi; he could think about this situation tactically. Kakashi’s wounds ran along the length of his body, but the most danger was probably around his midsection. It was best he try to stop the bleeding before he attempted to apply the bandages. He used Kakashi’s discarded cloak to apply pressure, cleaning away some of the blood.

It wasn’t as bad as he’d thought. Samehada had shredded his skin and some muscle, but it had not gone deep. They were like extreme friction wounds, appearing much worse than they actually were. Tenzo began to breath easier as he wrapped the bandages. They were soggy, and not tight enough, but they would do until he found help. It was clear now that he’d calmed down and taken a look at the injuries, Kakashi would be fine as long as they didn’t get infected. Tenzo took off his own slightly cleaner cloak and wrapped Kakashi in it before picking him up again.

A little further down the path, they reached a fork, with a signpost indicating the direction of a town. As tired as he was, Tenzo quickened his pace. The town was raised up above the soggy forest on a small hill. But it was worth it dragging himself up the steep stone steps, for he managed to find help quickly.

The healer was an old woman with a serious, lined face. Very conveniently, she was also an innkeeper. Tenzo was able to purchase a room and medical care in the same transaction. It was a small room, with a sliding door, and two sleeping mats on the floor. The only source of light were oil lanterns, and the woman brought her supplies up to treat Kakashi there.

She knew a little medical Ninjutsu, which set Tenzo on edge, but he soon realized she was no Shinobi. She’d never even been to the central island on which Kiri was located. In fact, she’d never been far from the village, having learned these skills from her mother before her. She also used many odd smelling ointments, and forced a large pill down Kakashi’s throat. Soon enough, she was done, and all that was left to do was wait.

Tenzo did not intend to sleep until Kakashi awoke and he was sure he was alright. What if he fell asleep and something bad happened? Like Kakashi’s wounds reopening or the shark ninja reappearing? He leaned against the wall, deeply content to watch the rise and fall of his Senpai’s chest. In that moment, it was the most beautiful sight in the world.

“That doesn’t look very comfortable.”

Tenzo’s eyes flew open to sunlight filtering in through a thin crack in the shutters. He didn’t even remember closing his eyes, and still sat slumped awkwardly against the wall, his hand on his sword. Kakashi was half upright, leaning on an elbow. The healer had taken his mask off along with his shirt, but he was more bandage than skin. The white linen wrapped his left leg and arm, along with his torso all the way up to his neck. On top of that, there was the hand and the foot. Tenzo had taken the liberty of bandaging his right eye, to avoid any confusion if his Sharingan was revealed.

Blushing slightly at his failed guard duty, Tenzo said, “I’m glad to see you’re awake. I was worried.”

“We both seem to be alive,” Kakashi commented casually, as if talking about the weather. “I think I have you to thank for that.” His eyes roamed the room, analysing. “Where are we, exactly?”

“Just some backwater town… pardon the pun.” Tenzo pushed himself stiffly to his feet, his muscles cramping from the fight followed by awkward sleeping position. “I managed to get away, but we’re not too far from where we left that fish bastard. He could still find us.”

Kakashi sat up the rest of the way, but before he could go any further, Tenzo rushed to his side. “Please just rest for a bit. The healer knew a bit of medical Ninjutsu, but you’re still probably going to tear all the scabs open.”

“It seems like I don’t have much choice in the matter,” Kakashi said, eyes flickering to Tenzo’s rather forceful hand on his shoulder. 

Tenzo released him, leaning back on his arms, but it seemed it was too soon to relax.

“We can’t stay here long,” Kakashi continued. “With every day that passes the chances that Obito is still in the land of water grows slimmer.”

“You don’t know that. He could live here or something.” Tenzo switched tactics. “Just rest for today, please. Just today. I’d feel better if it was two, but I know how stubborn you are. I’ll pay the woman for another round of healing, and we can leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

Kakashi made a disapproving sound, but stopped when he noticed Tenzo staring intently at his bandaged midsection.

“Please,” Tenzo asked, softly. “I don’t want to have to see you all bloody like that again.” 

Kakashi sighed, but lay back down. Tenzo decided to cherish the small victory. “I’m going to grab us some food. Don’t move.”

All that was available at the inn was some rice and seaweed, but the two Shinobi were too hungry to care. It was uncommon that they get anything but food pills on a mission.

“I never thanked you properly,” Kakashi said softly, plucking the last few grains from the bottom the bowl. “You didn’t have to come with me. You didn’t have to do any of this.”

Surprised by this uncharacteristic praise, Tenzo wasn’t sure how to respond. “Uh… thanks. But I’ve told you before, I couldn’t just abandon you. You saved my life.”

There was a pause. “Why do you believe me?” Kakashi asked. “About Obito. I don’t blame Guy and the others for not. I know how crazy I sounded. So why…?”

Tenzo shrugged. They sat side by side near the open window. The shutters opened onto an herb garden, and he stared out into it as he attempted to come up with a response. Because to me you’re infallible, he wanted to say. Because you were going to give up and leave me, and I’ll cling to anything that means you don’t.

But that was too honest, so he settled on, “Because I trust you. I know you’re struggling, but you’re still the smartest person I know. You said you wanted to figure out what’s going on, and I feel the same way.”

“You were willing to abandon your village out of curiosity?” There was amusement in Kakashi’s voice.

“And because I care about you. This is what you need, right? To find him?”

“Yeah,” Kakashi met his eyes, biting his lip, “it is. I need to find him more than I’ve needed anything in a long time. Maybe ever.”

Employing one of his favourite ROOT tricks for supressing emotion, Tenzo resorted to humor. “Woah those are some serious emotions right there. I’d love to say I can relate, but after Danzo I can only name like three: happy, mad, sad, uhh… that other one.”

It had fallen flat, more sad that even dryly humorous. It was hard when all Tenzo could think of was Kakashi’s bloody body in the mud, when he’d thought he might lose him. He did understand, and no amount of sarcasm could change that.

All the same, Kakashi laughed. It was nice, just to sit together. Warm air wafted in through the window, along with the smell of flowers.

“Have you thought about taking Guy’s advice?” Tenzo asked. “About leaving ANBU? We’d all hate to see you go, of course. But he’s probably right, about it being less… bad.” He stared at his hands, but he could feel Kakashi looking at him; looking through him. “ANBU’s the only option for me, of course. But you have a whole world waiting for you after this Obito thing. A whole life outside—”

“Why do you think that?” Kakashi cut him off. “Why would you say something like that? You’re so much more than ANBU. Tenzo… just…” He made a noise of frustration.

Kakashi sounded angry, and Tenzo wondered what he’d done wrong.

“I don’t even have a name, Kakashi,” he attempted to explain. “I didn’t go to the academy. I want to serve the village, but I didn’t even take the Chunin exam or anything. I’m meant to work behind the scenes. I’m not a person like you. But don’t worry, because ANBU is fine for me. It’s so much better than ROOT. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t even have this.”

“You’re a moron, Tenzo.” Suddenly Kakashi was hugging him, and it was all soft bandages and the smell of ozone. “You’re so much more than that. You’ve got as much of a life waiting outside of ANBU as I do, maybe more.”

Tenzo couldn’t breathe. Kakashi was holding him, and he’d never felt like this before. He couldn’t think, his mind screaming, dancing static.

“Senpai.”

“You are a person, Tenzo. An important person. Don’t let anything make you believe anything different.”

They were already so close, and Tenzo’s heart was so loud in his ears. He didn’t think, he just did it. Leaning in, he kissed Kakashi. It had been a sudden involuntary action, unplanned and uncontrolled. But god, it felt like heaven.

For that one glorious moment Kakashi didn’t think. Tenzo’s mouth against his was warm, and it felt good. He let his mind float away, and his skull filled with pleasant static. For a moment it was like they existed in a vacuum, and nothing mattered but how good Tenzo tasted, and how much he cared about him. But of course that was dangerous, a deadly thing that could not be ignored. There was part of Kakashi that wanted to pull Tenzo close and forget everything, but there was another part that showed him how it would all crumble away, how doing that would be infinitely more painful that putting a Chidori through this chest, for both of them. So, Kakashi pulled away.

“I’m sorry.”

Kakashi’s words hung in the air like a cloud of poison gas, and now Tenzo really couldn’t breathe, as the reality of what he’d done crashed down on him. They moved away from each other at the same time.

“Tenzo, I…” There was no sentence to finish, but Tenzo understood all the same.

“I have no idea why I did that. I’m so sorry.” The words rushed out all at once. “I’m such an idiot. The last thing you need right now is me putting that on you. We have so much to worry about, and I’m just creating problems. I just couldn’t…”

“It’s safer this way, Tenzo, trust me. I don’t know what I did to make you think… But we’re Shinobi. I’ll die one day and I don’t want that to hurt you. Or you’ll die, and I don’t want you to be just one more name on my list.”

Too late, Tenzo wanted to say. It’s too late for me. I already care too much, and I can’t control it, and it’s crushing me. But he wanted to save Kakashi any pain he could, even if it meant taking more on himself.

“I never should have brought you into this,” Kakashi said. “Maybe it’s better if you just go.”

Tenzo swallowed. “I do feel like getting a little fresh air. Excuse me.”

The execution had been perfect: a near emotionless mask. Tenzo slid the door closed behind him before he allowed his shoulders to slump. He felt like crying, or punching himself in the face, but he did neither. He wandered out through the spice garden, to the forest that covered the gentle slope down from the town. The hill was much less steep on this side.

It was only once he could no longer see the inn that he let his façade crumble completely. No tears came, only self loathing.

“Idiot!”

He punched the nearest tree, and it splintered, deep cracks spreading all the way around the trunk. Guilt gripped Tenzo almost instantly.

“Sorry,” he muttered, pressing his palm to the bark.

If he focused he could give the tree chakra, repair the damage he’d done. It wasn’t the tree's fault any of this was happening. It didn’t deserve to suffer for his mistakes. He was so intent in this task he did not immediately notice the presence.

“Tenzo, is it?”

The voice was unfamiliar, and his hand automatically went to his sword. It was like the man had appeared out of thin air. He had dark brown hair and only one eye, half of his face horrifically scarred. He had a Sharingan, Tenzo realized, like a mirror of Kakashi’s.

“You’re Obito,” he said, dumbly. “It’s really you.”

Despite what he’d said, there had been a part of Tenzo that had never really believed he was alive. But there was no doubt that this was him: from the eye, to the fringe of mysterious white material like a collar. Tenzo had never imagined it would play out like this: Obito approaching him alone when his head was still reeling from the kiss. He’d never known him, had no idea who he’d been. He must know Kakashi was here, so then why?

“I’m here with Kakashi,” Tenzo said, gesturing awkwardly back towards the inn. “I think you must know… he really wants to talk to you.”

“And you think I want to talk to him?” Obito’s words weren’t angry, more amused.

“To be honest, Obito, I don’t know anything about you. But please, I’m asking you, come see him. He’s not going to stop until he finds you.”

“Alright,” Obito said. “But first you have to let me show you something.”

When a hand clamped firmly around Tenzo’s arm, his instinct was not to fight. Obito had been flawless at acting non-threatening, and Tenzo didn’t even try to pull away as Obito activated his Kamui.

As the space-time spiralled in around them, he only uttered a simple, “wait…?”

Then they vanished, leaving no trace as to where they had gone, or that they had ever been there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obito, more like Obi-No, am I right??? ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
> 
> Comment down below to tell me if I'm right. Actually, please just comment and tell me what you think. 
> 
> Next time on LIH: Obi-No!!


	7. An Unfavourable Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to act 2 my friends

********Obito returned to his lab, leaving Tenzo in the space in-between. This had been easier than he’d expected. The only problem he had left to take care of was the Kiri-nin, Kisame. The man knew too much, and Obito was left with the options to either recruit him, kill him, or face the consequences.

“We did it!” Tobi cheered.

“I need you to link up with the statue,” Obito said. “Do you think you can manage that? We know that boy has the DNA we need to fix this; I just don’t know how to use it yet.”

“I’ll try my best,” Tobi said, beginning to unwind himself from around Obito. “There’s a lot of power in that statue. It should keep me alive as well as you do, that is to say not that well.”

As Tobi returned to his vaguely humanoid form, Obito could truly see the extent of the damage. His normally smooth, white complexion was marred with patches of black rot. He struggled to stand, leaning heavily on the lab table. The spiral of his face had loosened slightly, making him look saggy and undefined.

A white tendril began to extend from a root near the ceiling, summoned at their will. It merged into the back of Tobi’s head, helping to keep him upright. Obito was not looking forward to what came next. Somehow, through either Genjutsu or force, he needed to get Tenzo to cooperate. And considering the nature of the situation, there were bound to be some very unpleasant questions.

It doesn’t matter, Obito reminded himself. What was the life of one boy, who had never really had a life anyways? What was one life in comparison to Madara’s plan? Obito had been entrusted with watching over it while the man was gone, and that included dealing with unexpected circumstances such as these.

He transported back into the other world. Tenzo sat on the ground, back against one of the grey blocks. He looked up as Obito reappeared.

“What is this place?” He didn’t sound angry, more confused than anything.

“Another dimension,” Obito answered. “I can only reach it with the power of my Mangekyo Sharingan.”

The silence stretched on.

“I don’t understand why I’m here. This is about you and Kakashi, not about me. Why did you bring me to this place?”

“You’re wrong,” Obito said. “At this point, Kakashi is irrelevant. This has always been about you, about getting you away from the village. I’m sorry, but I figure you’ll at least appreciate honesty. Your DNA is a precious commodity.”

“Fuck!” Tenzo pushed himself to his feet, and Obito braced himself for some sort of attack. “Really?”

Obito made a move towards him, but Tenzo jumped back, balancing on one of the tallest blocks in the area.

“You’ve obviously got some sort of agenda,” Tenzo continued. “But how can you just leave him, when you were teammates? When just seeing you again has affected him so drastically? Do you really not care at all?”

“Kakashi, Kakashi, why are we still talking about Kakashi? I think you should be more worried about yourself right now, Tenzo.”

“No matter who you are I’m not just going to go along with this.” Tenzo crossed his arms across his chest. “What interest do you have in the First Hokage’s DNA, anyways?”

“I don’t think you understand.” Obito teleported up so he stood beside Tenzo, grabbing the front of his shirt. “You don’t have a choice in the matter. There’s no point in explaining my plan to you. Just know that I do care, about Kakashi, about the village, about everyone. That’s why I’m doing this.”

Breaking his hold, Tenzo flipped backwards off the block. “I don’t want to fight you, please… I know if it wasn’t for you Kakashi would be dead. I might not have known you, but that means something to me.”

“Then don’t,” Obito said. “Accept your fate. We all have one, and it’s meaningless to struggle against it. You care about Kakashi, and that tends to results in a destiny of the unfavourable kind, trust me.”

This has gone on far too long, Obito decided. He went to grab Tenzo again, and when the man swung at him he let his hand pass through him. Tenzo’s eyes widened in shock and Obito took hold of him for a second time, pulling him with him out into the real world.

Only when he saw the lab, did the reality of the situation truly hit Tenzo. It was far too similar to Orochimaru’s, from the scary instruments lying around to the rough cave walls. He stared up at the eerie wall in front of him. It was built from little cubes of liquid, like specimen jars without specimens, like they had been prepared with something specific in mind. Tenzo’s self-preservation started to kick in, and he shook Obito off.

“Get away from me.”

Wood shot out of the ground, attempting to immobilized Obito, but the man just stepped right through it. He really was a ghost, Tenzo thought, panic mounting—or a demon. He had to protect not only himself, but Kakashi as well. Obito was dangerous, and clearly insane.

There was something else in the room. It was a strange, faceless creature that smelled of rot. It was attached to the wall by what looked like an ambilocal cord. It grabbed Tenzo from behind, and its fingers grew into branches, so much like Tenzo’s own power it was disconcerting.

“Get off me!” He hit the thing, and his arm sunk into it like it was putty. It reformed back around his hand, sucking him in.

Tenzo tried to pull away, but the wet suction of the white material kept pulling him closer.

“I can feel your chakra,” the thing said, voice much too cheerful for something so terrifying. “It’s so much like Hashirama’s, it’s delicious.”

Obito got no pleasure from the fear on Tenzo’s face. He stepped forward, grabbing the boy firmly by the chin and forcing him to meet his eye.

“Sleep,” Obito said, gently, activating his Genjutsu.

Tenzo’s body went limp, and his breath began to even out. White tendrils wrapped around him, pulling Tenzo in until all that was left was Tobi standing before him.

The clone stretched, sighing as if waking up from a long nap. “This is the right stuff, for sure. I haven’t felt this great in months.”

“That’s good,” Obito said, hurrying to fetch his mask from where he’d left it on one of the laboratory tables. “Now we just need to figure out how to fix all of the Zetsu at once. I need to go deal with Kisame, but I’ll be back. Make sure he doesn’t wake up.”

Everything was easier when Obito had his face hidden behind the mask. It was a white one, with purple artwork adorning it. When all the world could see of him was one eye it was so much easier to hide the doubt, or the regret. It was so much easier to be what he knew he had to be.

All the way on the other side of the continent, Kakashi was feeling much the same way. He pulled his own mask back on over the bandages, lamenting that none of this would have happened had he been wearing it. It had been quite some time, and Tenzo had not returned. Of course he hadn’t come back, Kakashi chastised himself. He’d told him to leave, after all. But Tenzo had made it sound like he’d be returning. A little bit of worry stirred in Kakashi’s gut. If he really was leaving, it would have been courteous for Tenzo to tell him, at least.

Without Tenzo to bother him, Kakashi decided there was no reason to dither here any longer. His mission was still the same. He needed to find Obito. The kiss had left a mess in his head: of hope, and regret, and things he couldn’t allow himself to think about. He remembered Tenzo’s face at his refusal. He’d looked so scared, and sad, and guilty. Kakashi couldn’t think about any of this right now. It was better that Tenzo was gone. This had never been his mission.

Kakashi had brought an extra set of underclothes, but his armour and cloak were gone. Tenzo had left his cloak however, and it was still in decent condition, so Kakashi put it on. His sword had broken during the fight, but he still had all of his other ninja tools. Tenzo had left most of his gear, and Kakashi packed it up along with his own.

After checking they owed nothing to the innkeeper, he decided to search the surrounding area for any signs of Tenzo. He knew he was being stupid. He couldn’t tell someone to leave then expect them to still be around. All the same, Tenzo had left so many of his things, and they were in enemy territory. Kakashi spent a good amount of time searching the town and surrounding area, but there was no sign of Tenzo, nor of any sort of fight. It was like the man had simply disappeared. Maybe he thought it would be simpler if he just left, Kakashi thought, hating how his stomach dropped.

He was a terrible, selfish person, acting as he had then wishing Tenzo was still around. It was better this way. Tenzo would be safer back at the village. It had been wrong of Kakashi to let him come in the first place. He’d wasted enough time; it was time to find Obito.

Kakashi summoned Pakkun, who made a few worried comments about Kakashi’s bandaged state.

“I was in a fight yesterday,” Kakashi explained. “Can you still smell the guy on me?”

“I can smell a lot of people on you,” Pakkun said, raising the flap of skin that served as his eyebrow. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

Blushing under his mask, Kakashi said, “he smelled like fish, looked like one too. And his chakra, it was unlike anything I’ve ever sensed before.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve got the scent. You need me to find him? No offense Kakashi, but you don’t really look like you’re up to a rematch.”

“He’s my best lead on Obito,” Kakashi explained. All of his ninken already knew the situation. “He mentioned something about a masked man, and I hate to think Obito was involved in sending those guys after us, but it’s better than having no clues at all.”

“Alright,” Pakkun conceded. “But we should hang back, try to avoid a confrontation.”

They moved through the forest, Pakkun with his nose to the ground and Kakashi on high alert. Eventually they found a thin gravel path. In the distance, Kakashi could hear the sound of a river.

“He’s close,” Pakkun reported. “There’s someone else with him, and they don’t smell right.”

“Do you think it’s him?” Kakashi asked, barely daring to hope.

“It certainly doesn’t smell like the Obito I knew.”

Once they were close enough that Kakashi could also sense them he sent Pakkun away. Leaping from tree to tree, Kakashi crept up on the meeting. If he hadn’t seen Obito the night of the anniversary, he wouldn’t have recognized him. Obito was so different with the mane of long hair, and the long purple robe. This time his friend wore a mask that concealed his entire face, no longer wrapped in the mysterious white substance.

Kakashi could only make out bits and pieces of what they were saying over the rushing of the river. They stood right on the bank, the shark man leaning on his stolen blade, and Obito with his arms crossed tightly across his chest. It took all of Kakashi’s self-restraint not to run to him, but he remained hidden. From what he could gather, they seemed to be discussing some sort of organization that Kakashi had never heard of: A-cat-something….

As the meeting seemed to be drawing to a close when Kakashi heard, “… want me to take care of him?” From the shark man, whose name he’d gathered was Kisame.

Tensing, Kakashi drew a kunai. Pakkun was right. He wasn’t sure he could survive another fight, especially without Tenzo.

“No!” Obito’s response was distinct, even over the rushing water.

“As you wish. So, you want me to return to Kiri?”

“For the time being. It shouldn’t be for too much longer.”

As he’d clearly already been discovered, Kakashi jumped down from the tree. He ran out into the open just as Kisame was leaving, desperate to catch Obito before he vanished again using that strange Jutsu.

“Obito! Please!”

Despite his better judgment, Obito paused. Tenzo’s words echoed in his head. “…please, I’m asking you, come see him.” The things he was going to be forced to do to the boy would not be pleasant, and Obito felt he owed him at least one favour. And maybe, just maybe, there was a part of him that really did want to talk to Kakashi.

“You’re persistent, aren’t you?” Obito asked.

Despite being wrapped in bandages, Kakashi looked better than the last time Obito had spoken to him. He no longer looked so painfully broken.

“What did you expect?” Kakashi was suddenly angry. “I mourned you! For years. You’re alive, so why did you never come back?”

There was a long silence, then Obito said, “do you want the truth?”

“Of course.”

“I suppose it’s because you didn’t save Rin.”

Even behind the mask, Kakashi’s torrent of emotions were obvious to Obito. Will I push him over the edge again, Obito wondered, with a morbid sort of curiosity.

“I’m sorry,” Kakashi dropped to his knees, and his voice was heavy with unshed tears. “I couldn’t keep my promise. I’m worse that garbage.”

“You’re right about that…” Obito looked down at him, and all of the feelings he’d pushed down for so long came roaring to the surface. “But what you don’t know, is that I was there the night she died. I was just a little too late. I saw you put your hand through her chest, and if I’d just been a little faster… I failed. I couldn’t protect you guys, so that makes me garbage too.”

“You’re the one who killed the enemy,” Kakashi said slowly, the pieces falling into place. He stared up at Obito, incredulous. “You slaughtered all of them, but you didn’t kill me.” 

“I know she killed herself, Kakashi,” Obito said. “I know she did it to protect the village. But that doesn’t change anything. We both failed.”

“Please,” Kakashi clasped his hands like he was begging. “How do I fix this? How do I make this right? I’ve been trying on my own, trying to serve the village, but all I’ve done is kill more people. That’s all I’m good for. It seems like—it seems like you know, like you’ve managed to find some meaning in all the pain…”

“If you think I have the power to absolve you of your guilt, you’re wrong. No one does.” Despite his initial aversion to the situation, Obito had to admit there was something powerful about Kakashi—stuck up Kakashi, who’d always been better than him at everything—down on his knees and looking up at him like had all of the answers. “Seeking me out won’t make living in this world barrable,” he continued. “This world will never be bearable. It will never be peaceful. That’s why it needs to end.”

“What? What needs to end? I don’t understand.”

“This world,” Obito explained. “But I think to call it hell would be more accurate. Not only am I going to escape this hell, but I’m going to save everyone else from it as well.” He extended a hand to Kakashi. “Including you.”

Obito helped Kakashi to his feet, like they’d just finished a sparring match Kakashi had lost.

“That sounds impossible,” Kakashi said. “But I want to help. Even if this is some delusion of yours, it sounds like more of a purpose than I have right now.”

“Oh, but it isn’t a delusion,” Obito said. “It’s not even my plan. It came from the man who saved my life.”

“Who saved your life…” Kakashi said, slowly. “It seems impossible you could have survived, but you did. Who was it?”

“Madara Uchiha.”

Hidden behind his mask, Kakashi’s mouth fell open. “Seems like you’re crazier than I am. That’s impossible. He’s been dead for decades.”

“Only a few years,” Obito corrected. “He was a decrepit old man when I met him, but still very much alive, and very terrifying.”  

“You’re serious.”

“I am. The first Hokage thought he killed him, but he was wrong.”

Obito wasn’t sure why he was telling Kakashi all this. The more information he shared, the more he would be unable to let Kakashi return to Konoha. It was wrong for him to make that choice for the other man. But there was part of him that craved Kakashi’s understanding. If there was anyone who might be able to understand, it was him, having lived through the same hell.

“So, what’s the plan?” Kakashi asked. “How was Madara Uchiha going to save the world?”

“If I tell you, there’s no going back. The plan is more important than anything in this world, you included. And if you do anything to jeopardize it, I will kill you. You should leave now, go back to Konoha.”

“Why would I do that? It’s hell, remember? Please Obito, you can’t dangle this in front of me then tell me to leave. There’s nothing for me in this world.”

Obito knew Kakashi was serious, so serious he’d almost put a Chidori through his own chest.

“Alight.” Obito put a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder, guiding him as they both began to walk.

They followed the winding gravel path through the forest as Obito explained. He told Kakashi about the Infinite Tsukuyomi, about the beautiful dream world where everything would be okay. He could see it in Kakashi’s face, the same relief as when Madara had told him about it that night. Kakashi was sold. All the same, he did not give him more information than he needed to. He told him that he needed the tailed beasts to achieve this, and that he planned to bring Madara back to life one day.

He also explained that he had been saved using Hashirama’s cells. He showed Kakashi the boundary where real flesh met artificial. Kakashi faltered at this, and looked as if he was about to say something. In the end, he stayed silent, but Obito knew he was thinking about Tenzo. He told Kakashi about the creatures like Zetsu and Tobi made from the same flesh, that he could one day use as his army, but he told him no more than that.

He didn’t tell him about Nagato and the Rinnegan, or about the night he’d killed Minato. And of course, he did not tell him about Tenzo. In time, Obito told himself. He couldn’t dump all that on Kakashi at once. He also wasn’t yet sure if he could trust him completely. Just like Nagato, it was best to bring Kakashi into his way of thinking slowly. Madara had taught him to manipulate the darkness in people’s hearts, and Kakashi certainly had a lot of darkness.

“Are you on board?” Obito asked, stopping in front of a flowering bush.

Kakashi nodded solemnly. “I already abandoned the village to find you. There’s no point going back now. At first I wasn’t sure about this Genjutsu dream of yours. It seems so fake and unauthentic… but it does sound better than the uncertainty of death, and certainly better than living here any longer. I’m just not sure if I can feel comfortable making that decision for everyone else.”

“Everyone is suffering, Kakashi. I know you can see that. In this world, there are no favourable destinies.”

Kakashi remembered Tenzo, so convinced he wasn’t even a person. He remembered little Naruto, left alone now that Minato and Kushina were dead. He thought of Itachi, torn between his loyalty to the village and his family. Obito was right, he realized, everyone was suffering.

“I’m on board,” he told Obito. “I’ll do anything you ask.”

“Even stand against the village?”

“Even that. It doesn’t matter anymore, right? We’ll make a better village in our dreams.”

Obito smiled behind his mask. “Exactly. And we’ll both be able to see Rin again.”

It was not long after this that Obito took Kakashi by the hand and pulled him through space, crossing a great distance as easily as stepping through a door, and sealing both of their fates, if they had not already been sealed.

Popping back into this universe, Kakashi looked around in awe. He stood under the ribcage of some huge animal. All around them, marring the skyline, were the bones of massive things long dead. He’d never been anywhere like this before. Obito called it Mountains’ Graveyard, and he said it was on the upper tip of the continent. Yet, just moments ago they had been in the Land of Water. Obito’s new power was almost inconceivable. This, combined with some limited command of the wood style, and his friend was certainly very powerful.

“It’s the Mangekyo Sharingan,” Obito explained. “It is an ancient Uchiha power. It awakened in me the night Rin died.”

“I know what it is,” Kakashi said, quietly. “It awakened for me too, that night.”

Obito would be only the third person to know. With Minato dead, only he and the Third Hokage knew about Kakashi’s power.

Obito stared at him, aghast. “You’re not even a Uchiha! But it must be because… it must be because we’re linked somehow. This means maybe you can use Kamui too. Have you tried to use the Mongekyo before?”

Kakashi shook his head. “Lord Third thought it was too dangerous. He said it was forbidden, that it would turn me blind and destroy me from the inside.”

“Well I suppose he was right. All the same, I can teach you how to use it. In time…” Obito headed for the cave entrance in the cliff in front of them. “Come on.”

Obito’s hideout was a cave, there wasn’t a better way to say it. However, it was a big cave. They had passed several forks as Kakashi followed Obito into the bowels of the mountain. It would be easy to get lost here, Kakashi thought.

Eventually the central passage opened up into a large cavern, and Kakashi almost gagged. The smell of decay was heavy in the air. Looking up, he saw what looked like bodies suspended from roots, like rotting fruit about to fall from the vine. They were barely humanoid, white figures that looked withered and dried out. Kakashi remembered the Hashirama clones Obito had mentioned, but these things looked sick. If they were plants, then they were dying ones.

“Are they,” he began, swallowing the bile rising from his stomach, “supposed to look like that?”

“There was a slight setback,” Obito said. “The original sample of the First’s DNA was corrupted. But don’t worry, I already have it handled.”

 “Is this really where you live?” Kakashi asked, tentatively.

“I wasn’t expecting guests,” Obito snapped back. “I didn’t even plan on talking to you, yet here we are. Since I was rebuilt with Hashirama’s cells I haven’t needed to eat, so there won’t be much food around. Sorry about that. We can grab you some stuff tomorrow. But for now, make yourself at home. Feel free to explore the place, but there are two areas that are off limits.” Obito stopped in front of a large set of wooden doors that looked almost as if it had grown there. “This is my room. It’s rude to invade someone’s personal space, so stay out.”

Walking further into the mountain, and passing another fork, Obito stopped in front of a rusted metal door. It looked like a vault, the lock the kind that needed to be spun. It looked like it had not been opened in a long time. Kakashi supposed Obito could just teleport inside.

“This is the lab,” Obito explained. “It is off limits as well, for the time being. You can’t expect me to trust you with everything right away.”

“I understand.”

“There are a lot of small caverns and rooms here. I have work to do, but feel free to find one of your own. I use some of them to store weapons and supplies, and some might have grown some Zetsu, but most should be empty.”

“What work?” Kakashi asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Actually, I do. We’ll talk later. For now, just get settled in. Or don’t, I don’t care.”

Kakashi didn’t even have time to formulate a response before Obito disappeared in the swirl created by his strange Jutsu. Kamui, he had called it. It appeared Kakashi had no choice but to find himself a room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has left kudos and comments and stuff! :) 
> 
> The next chapter is very much like this one, though longer, and further down the slippery slope on which we are sliding.


	8. Mountains’ Graveyard

Obito’s room was one of the larger caverns in the mountain. It was also the one in which he had been trapped for so long after Madara had rescued him. The imposing face of the Gedo Statue loomed above him. On the makeshift throne on which Madara had once sat, now slumped the main Zetsu. This one was different from the others, having been imbued with Madara’s will. He’d normally spend most of his time with the Akatsuki before he’d fallen ill. He still wore the red and black cloak now, as he sat attached to the statue, kept alive by its power like the old Uchiha had once been.

Suddenly, Tobi appeared from the floor, detaching himself from the rock with an excited hop. He looked as good as new, no longer attached to a root. The rot had all but disappeared. Obito knew Tenzo was inside him, even though he was hidden from view, and for some reason that made him uncomfortable.

“Soooo…” Tobi began, “you’ve come back with a bit of a surprise. Kakashi here, who would have thought? I know I’m the one who suggested your recruit him, but that was before we realized we had to kidnap his friend.”

“I changed my mind,” Obito said. “Kakashi can be useful. He’s loyal, more trustworthy than those random criminals Nagato is recruiting.”

There was a wet sound accompanied by a groan, and both Obito and Tobi turned to face Zetsu. The leaves that surrounded his body pulled apart with difficulty, seeming to be stuck together with some sort of foul smelling puss. His white side was barely recognizable, but his black side was still mostly intact, his yellow eye staring at them accusingly.

“You’re awake,” Obito commented.

“I am. And Tobi already filled me in on what’s going on. If you’re lonely, Obito, just suck it up and move on. What you’ve just done is created a massive problem where there was none before. You think Kakashi’s just going to go along with it when he finds out what we’re using that boy for?”

“Are you questioning my judgment?” Obito snarled, staring dangerously down at the wilting plant creature.

“You’re jeopardizing Madara’s mission. You need to get rid of him.”

“I think you’re forgetting who’s in charge here, Zetsu. No one cares more about the mission than I do. If he does something to betray me I will kill him, but until then you both will follow my orders and treat him as an ally.”

“Fine,” Zetsu growled, though it was not particularly intimidating when he could barely move. “Just hurry up and figure out how to fix me. I don’t know how much longer the others have if I’m already in this state.”

Supressing the urge to kill the annoying creature, Obito turned away. “Come on, Tobi. Let’s go to the lab.”

“Right-o!” The other annoying creature responded, beginning to merge back into the floor.

They met back up in front of the wall of tanks Obito had built in preparation for what he anticipated would soon be a large influx of spare Sharingan. A few side projects of Obito’s sat unfished around the room, but the large table was clear.

“So,” Tobi asked, “you tell him about Minato? How did he take it?”

“I haven’t yet,” Obito admitted. “With time I feel he’ll understand, but it would have been a lot to put on him at once.”

“Okay… You know him better than I do. Hey, Obito?”

“Hmm…?”

“Can I go talk to him? I want to meet the guy for real. I’ve been hearing about stupid Kakashi for as long as I’ve known you. I’ve got to say, I’m curious about what he’s like when he’s not about to kill himself.”

“Not while you’re attached to Tenzo you’re not. And even then, I wouldn’t want you to give him the same headache you give me. Actually… maybe it would be nice if you had someone else to bother.” While they talked, Obito moved around the room collecting the things he’d need. “Speaking of Tenzo, bring him here.”

Tobi unfurled, dropping the limp body onto the table. Tenzo was shaking slightly. It wasn’t clear if he was fully unconscious, but he certainly wasn’t moving. Just in case, Obito secured his wrists and ankles with purposely metal bindings. Using wood would have been a stupid mistake.

“What are you going to do with him?” Tobi asked, mournfully. “I’m already starting to feel gross again.”

“In theory I hope to attach him to the tree like the old Hashirama clone, but I’m not going to do that until I’m positive that won’t just make things worse. I need to find out exactly how similar his DNA is, and if it will react the same way with the statue.”

“Sounds like a plan.” One of Tobi’s fingers grew into a twig, prodding Tenzo in the cheek.

He groaned and shifted a little.

“Oops.” Tobi took a few steps back. “I think I’m going to get going.”

“No,” Obito stopped him. “It would be best if you stayed and helped me.”

He removed his mask, and tied his hair back into a loose ponytail. Picking up a small scalpel, he approached the table.

“Sure thing, boss.” Tobi leaned back against a nearby cabinet. “Just tell me if you need something.”

Obito cut off a lock of Tenzo’s hair, catching it in a glass dish. Placing it on a nearby metal cart, he did not immediately notice that Tenzo’s eyes were open. He had been watching Obito silently until their gazes finally met.

“Obito…?” The other man’s voice was hoarse. His lips were dry and cracked, his eyes outlined with dark circles. Obito had been planning to ignore him, but Tenzo continued. “Everything was… so blurry, bits and pieces. Can you tell me—can you tell me I was dreaming? Did I really hear…? Is Kakashi here?”

It was probably best he put him back to sleep, Obito decided. It was a shame Genjutsu had never been his strong suit. Picking up a needle, he returned to Tenzo’s side.

“Please…” Tenzo tried again. “Maybe I was always destined to end up back in a lab. But don’t you at least owe me the answer to one question? He isn’t—”

“Kakashi is here,” Obito said, quickly. He as about to launch into a spiel about how Tenzo should not expect rescue from their shared friend, but he didn’t get the chance.

Tenzo’s reaction was sudden and violent. “No!”

He slammed forward against the restraints; the passive acceptance of moments earlier was gone. Struggling uselessly, he curled towards Obito, almost as if he intended to headbutt him. Obito slammed a hand down on his chest, knocking the wind out of him.

“As shit as this is,” Tenzo gasped, somewhere between a threat and tears. “I thought the silver lining was that all of this was about me, that you would take me and he’d never see you again. I thought he was safe.”

“I don’t understand.” Behind Obito’s poker face, Tenzo’s words had actually unsettled him a little. “Weren’t you the one who said I should talk to him?”

“That was before I knew how dangerous you were.” Tenzo began thrashing again, only managing to whack his head against the metal table. “You’re insane! You need my DNA, but leave him alone. Leave him out of this.”

Tenzo was starting to grate on Obito’s last nerve. Pinning one of his arms less than gently, Obito shoved the large needle into his flesh haphazardly, without much regard for if he hit a vein. All previous thoughts of Genjutsu sedatives had been pushed from his mind. Tenzo didn’t make a sound, but his teeth dug into his lower lip.

“I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand,” Obito muttered. “Kakashi understands. He wants the same things I do. Plus,” and this last part was almost to himself, “it’s too late. He knows too much.”

To Tenzo, those words were infinitely more painful than the metal in his arm. Obito drew a sample of blood and placed it beside the hair.

“I suppose asking you to give me a sample of your wood style won’t work?” Obito said.

“Sure it will. Untie me and I’ll be happy to give you a demonstration.”

Obito laughed once. “I’m considering it. It’s not like you could hit me anyways, but I don’t like the idea of you smashing up my lab.”

“Big talk from someone whose main fighting style is teleporting away. You have that creepy faceless golem do all your fighting for you, I don’t think you could take me one on one.”

The taunts had little effect on Obito. He could sense they came from a place of desperation.

Beckoning over the creature in question, he said, “be nicer to Tobi. He’s practically your biological brother. Can’t you see the family resemblance?”

“What’s up, boss?” Tobi asked, leaning on the edge of the table.

“I need you to get him to use his Jutsu,” Obito instructed. “Preferably in a non-destructive manner.”

As Tobi reached for Tenzo, Obito finally got a peak behind his shield. Underneath the mask of false bravado, the fear was still there. Tenzo’s face whitened, his large eyes bugging out a little. Tobi’s hand seemed to sink into his chest, and Tenzo was silent, face screwed up in concentration.

“Don’t fight this, bro,” said Tobi, mockingly. “You’re only going to lose, and it will hurt more.”

Tenzo let out a little gasp of pain before he managed to silence himself. Then, one of his arms morphed into wood against his will. Before he could regain control, Obito scraped off a sample.

Though Tenzo being such a pain in the ass made it easier, Obito still did not enjoy this. It was for the dream, he told himself. Anything was worth the perfect dream that awaited him at the end of this dark tunnel.

Dreams were funny things. For Obito they were something more precious than life itself. To Tenzo, they would have been a welcome release from the torture that was still to come. But for Kakashi, where he lay elsewhere in the cave system, they were the torture themselves.

Kakashi lay asleep in a small grotto, as far away from any of the rotting plant people as he had been able to get. It was a bit small for a room, but the narrow entrance had made him feel safer. The furnishings were meager: currently only this pack and bedroll. He’d attempted to summon his ninken for company, but this place had been so hard on their noses he’d been forced to send them away again. Time did not exist below ground, and despite Kakashi impatience to talk to Obito boredom and the collective exhaustion of the last few days had finally caught up with him.

His sleep was fitful, tormented by nightmares as it often was.

~

_He was walking through a marsh heavy with mist, like an uncanny valley version of the Land of Water. Somehow, Kakashi knew he was searching for Rin._

_“Rin!” he yelled her name, a mistake if he was in enemy territory. “Rin!”_

_“Captain…” Kakashi jumped, turning to find Tenzo had appeared beside him wearing his full ANBU gear. “Keep your voice down. You’ll jeopardize the mission.”_

_“Some leader you are,” said an all too familiar voice from his other side._

_Obito was here as well. He looked as he did now, long haired and deep voiced, aside from the old goggles which looked comically out of place on his face._

_“Sorry,” Kakashi offered, lamely_

_“Look,” Obito pointed, “you’ve lost another one. Nothing changes.”_

_Tenzo was gone, Kakashi realized, as quickly as he’d appeared._

_“Tenzo?” Kakashi called._

_“I told you,” Obito said, arms crossed tightly across his chest. “I’m leaving. I’m not stupid enough to follow you a second time.”_

_“Wait!”_

_Obito spiralled in on himself, and Kakashi’s hand met empty air. He was alone in the marsh again._

_“Rin?” He plotted on. “Tenzo?” This time, there was no one to tell him to keep his voice down._

_There was blood smeared on the reeds, mixed with the mud. Kakashi could smell it, even if it was hard to see in the gloom. A far-off scream reached Kakashi’s ears. It was barely audible, echoing across the marsh from a great distance. It was Tenzo, Kakashi realized with a stab of fear. Tenzo was screaming._

_~_

As he jolted awake, for a moment it seemed the dream had followed him. But then Kakashi shook himself, and was left listening to nothing but the silence of the cave. Water dripped somewhere nearby. It was just a dream, Kakashi told himself. Tenzo hadn’t been screaming. Tenzo was probably safe back in Konoha by now. Still, he remembered hearing it for just a moment after jerking back into consciousness, echoing through the rock.

Even if it had been a dream, it had left him unsettled. Knowing he would be unable to go back to sleep, Kakashi decided to explore Obito’s hideout a little. Who knew what he’d find? The path on which his room was located curved back towards the entrance, so instead Kakashi retraced his steps towards where he and Obito had parted ways. He was only vaguely aware that this particular passage wound around the outside of Obito’s lab.

He stopped when he reached the imposing metal door, sizing it up for a second. Was Obito in there now? Not much further down the hall was the entrance to Obito’s own room. Kakashi debated going there and knocking, but pushed down the urge. He wouldn’t put it past his old friend to change his mind about recruiting him.

Instead, Kakashi chose the first side passage he found. It seemed to slope downwards, and Kakashi found himself stepping over roots with increasing frequency. They were everywhere here, poking from the ceiling, running flush with the walls. The downward tilt of the tunnel increased until he saw something marking the end. It wasn’t a door; it was something else. The realization crept up on him. It was the eyehole of some massive skull, probably belonging to one of the monsters whose bones he’d seen above ground. Most of it was buried, only the socket exposed to serve as a strange sort of arch. A root pierced the bone on one side, yielding deep cracks.

Kakashi stepped through into a tall room. There was a tree here, he realized in shock. How something like that could live without access to sunlight he was unsure. The trunk was massive, going up multiple stories before finally disappearing through a hole in the cave’s ceiling. The tunnel had wound down quite a way, and Kakashi struggled to construct a mental blueprint of the cave in his mind. He was naturally very good at such things, and eventually settled on the realization that it was probably Obito’s room into which it disappeared. The roots of this great tree—thicker here than anywhere else in the cave system—dipped down into the massive underground lake that took up most of the room’s floor. The water was too murky for him to see how deep it was, but the thing oozed chakra. He decided to keep his distance.

There was something near the base of the tree, something humanoid. Kakashi approached it cautiously, running along one of the roots. Even once he was right in front of it, he still couldn’t make out what it was. It was like a statue made out of wood, a very old statue that had not aged well. Rot and weathering had deteriorated the features so that all that was discernible was that it was half of a person, trapped in the tree. Other things stuck out of the bark around it, one of which was intact enough that Kakashi was able to identify them as hands. Even as deteriorated as the statue was, there was something deeply unnerving about it. It was a little like one of Tenzo’s wood clones.

Suddenly, Kakashi felt a presence behind him. Spinning around, he saw one of the strange white creatures that inhabited the cave detached itself from the wall. This one was different, and not just because it didn’t look like it was dying. Where its face should have been instead there was a spiral.

“Hey Kakashi,” it said, in a disconcertingly cheerful voice.

“Hey…”

“We’ve met before, but I was wrapped around Obito at the time. He calls me Tobi, so I suppose that’s my name. It’s a pleasure to formally meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Tobi,” Kakashi said, mind still reeling.  It hadn’t even occurred to him that the white substance Obito had been wrapped in was a sentient being.

“I’ve been hearing about you ever since Madara first brought Obito home,” the creature chirped. “You can’t blame me for being a little curious.”

“Oh?”

“Oh yeah! He used to talk about you in his sleep: Rin and Stupid Kakashi. He was so small back then.” Tobi sounded almost wistful.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, but at the same time he felt incredibly sad. What had Obito been through? What he’d told him had surely only scratched the surface.

“Is that Obito’s eye under there?” Tobi asked, prodding his bandage.

The clone clearly did not have a concept of personal space. He smelled familiar: like wood. Like Tenzo, Kakashi realized. Just that thought was enough to send his mind reeling, and he struggled to remember what they’d been talking about. Thankfully, he did not have to as Obito appeared suddenly.

“Tobi,” he said, his voice hard. “I don’t know what you’re saying to him, but I don’t have to to know I need to tell you to shut up.”

“Rude.” The creature crossed its arms across its chest.

“It seems you’ve just met the one being on this planet more annoying than you,” Obito teased.

He seemed in a better mood than before, Kakashi noted, if only slightly.

“Go check on the thing, Tobi,” Obito instructed. “I’m going to take some time off.”

“The thing?” Tobi asked, like he understood. “Of course, boss.”

“What thing?” Kakashi asked, as the clone sunk into the floor.

Obito shook his head. “One thing at a time, Kakashi.” He paused. “You want to talk?”

Kakashi nodded earnestly. “More than anything.”

“Let’s go upstairs then.” Obito pointed up to where the tree disappeared into the ceiling. “We can skip the walk, if you want.” He held out an arm.

Kakashi took it, and as soon as he could blink they were standing somewhere else.

“Do you ever walk anywhere anymore?” Kakashi asked. “You’ll get out of shape.”

Obito did not look particularly amused, but not angry either. He looked thoughtful, far away. Kakashi took in the room. It was large, and at the top of what had appeared—from below—to be a tree, was instead a massive flower. Seated upon the peddles cross-legged was a huge statue. It was an eerie thing, with nine eyes and a large mouth. It appeared to be meditating, and roots and vines grew from it just as they grew from the tree trunk below it. He couldn’t look away. There was something about it that set every hair on his body on end.

He was about to ask Obito what it was when the other man spoke. “For almost a year I was trapped in this room. It’s where I woke up after…” He trailed off. “Come, sit.”

They went to what looked to be a thrown at the base of the statue. In fact, it was carved from a large tree stump. The thing was as wide was any bench, and they were able to sit comfortably on either side. Even though they faced away from it, Kakashi could not shake the feeling that the statue was watching him.

“We’re sitting right where Madara died,” Obito said, matter of fact.

“That’s such an odd thing,” Kakashi responded, “to know he was alive in our lifetime. He was a myth while we were growing up, a legendary figure. He barely seemed real to me. We were taught to think of him as the villain. But if he saved your life, that’s not something I can do.”

“He was an unpleasant bastard.” Obito leaned into the armrest on his side, angled strongly towards Kakashi. “But he was wise. He could see this world for what it was, and he saved me from how blind I used to be.”

“The Infinite Tsukuyomi,” Kakashi said wistfully, “like bringing heaven to everyone on earth. I understand why you went over to his way of thinking.”

“It took me a while, actually,” Obito admitted, “longer than it took you. All I cared about, for so long, was getting back home: to you, and Rin, and Minato-sensei. I was grateful to him for saving me, but I just didn’t care. I was so naive back then. I didn’t listen until I was forced to see the truth of this world with my own eyes.”

They were treading into dangerous territory, but it wasn’t painful. For both of them, it was a healing thing. Obito broke out an old bottle of sake and they talked about everything. They talked about the night of Rin’s death, and how it had played out from both of their perspectives. They talked about Madara’s past, and what information Obito had about what had happened between him and Hashirama. They talked about the Rinnegan, and the Akatsuki.

Kakashi told him about what he’d become in ANBU. They’d called him cold-blooded Kakashi, the friend killer, and it had been eating him alive for years. These feelings had been building for so long, and Kakashi told Obito his kill count like he was in a church confessional.

“This world makes monsters out of all of us,” Obito said, simply. “You’ve done bad things for your cause—as unworthy as the village is—and I’ve done terrible things for mine.”

Obito told him about Nagato, about how he’d destroyed the man, molded him into what he’d needed.

“It was Danzo,” Kakashi reassured. “You just pushed him a little further. It wasn’t your fault. Nagato’s isn’t the only life Danzo ruined. My friend Tenzo was raised in ROOT. He spared my life and Danzo almost put a curse seal on him.”

“I don’t know who that is,” Obito said, surprisingly rough.

“Right… it’s not important. Did I tell you how Danzo tried to steal my—your Sharingan?”

Kakashi was buzzed, and warm, and truly happy. He’d expected himself to break down back at the beginning when they’d been talking about Rin, but he hadn’t. Instead he’d come away with a new understanding of what that night had meant for Obito. And he’d finally had Obito listen to him: his thousands of apologies met with an eyeroll. “We’re both garbage,” Obito had said, “get over it.” Then the conversation had moved one, and the sake had kept flowing. Kakashi told the story of Danzo’s quest for his eye, and they both concluded that Konaha and the world in general would be much better off if the man was dead.

Kakashi had been studying Obito’s face. It was so much like the one he’d known, but yet so jarringly different. The main reason for this being the scars. It was hard to look at them, the way they marred the once pretty face. Then there was the obvious line where Obito’s real skin met the white, synthetic body. So much of the other man had been crushed, even half of his neck. Kakashi’s eyes landed on something black, peeking up over the edge of Obito’s collar. It looked a little like blood poisoning, like the end of a wrong vein curling across the white flesh.

“Obito,” Kakashi began, finger hovering near the blemish, afraid to touch him. “What is that?”

Stiffening slightly, Obito moved away from him. “Nothing to worry about. I told you, I have it handled.”

“Have what handled?” Kakashi’s mind worked furiously, trying to connect the pieces. Half of Obito’s body was made from the synthetic cells of the first Hokage—Kakashi knew this—it was the same stuff the plant creatures were made from. “No,” he choked out.  “Obito, please tell me you’re not…”

_…dying again, rotting away when I’ve only just found you._

The rest of the sentence went unfinished.

Obito signed deeply, and got up from the throne. “A few month ago,” he began, “something happened to the sample of Hashirama’s DNA Madara collected and cultivated. At first I thought it was foul play, but after much research it seems to simply be a disease, as random as any other in this world. Just a random mutation in a cell, and everything Madara and I had worked for came crashing down.”   

Notting his purple robe around his waist, Obito pulled the undershirt over his head to reveal his chest. It was cut into two jagged halves. Across the white half, dark tendrils of rot spread from a central point near his lower ribs. Kakashi stared at it in horror until Obito put his shirt back on, hiding it from sight.

Obito may have acted like he had not wished to show Kakashi, but in truth he had planned all along for Kakashi to see this. He’d just meant for it to happen at a specific time. He prayed Kakashi’s observance had not thrown a wrench into the carefully crafted script he had for this evening. If there was one thing Obito had learned these last few years, it was that the world was a play, and writing the correct lines could shape it as you wished.

Sitting back down, Obito felt a tendril of wood wrap subtly around his wrist. That was Tobi, saying hello. Relief washed over Obito. Everything was going as planned.

“That doesn’t look okay,” Kakashi’s voice was heavy, concealing a small tremor.

“It’s not nearly as bad for me as with the Zetsu,” Obito explained. “I can use my own chakra to suppress it. They’re what would go first, but I’m not going to let that happen. I’m sure I can resolve this, so you really don’t need to worry about it.”

“How—”

Obito cut him off. “Not right now. Right now, I’m going to ask you a question, and I need you to think about it hard and answer it honestly.” The words were well-rehearsed in his mind.

“Of course,” Kakashi said, with a little apprehension.

“Why are you doing this?” Obito began. “Working for me? Do you care about the Infinite Tsukuyomi as much as I do? For you, is it about saving the world? Or is it about being with Rin again, in a perfect world where none of us will ever hurt? Or are you really doing this out of some belief that you owe me? Is it something else? There is no right answer, but I need you to be completely open with me. I need you to tell me exactly how you feel, and why you’re here.”

Silence stretched on for a moment as Kakashi got his thoughts in order. He had never been particularly good about sharing his feelings, but this time it seemed that his ability to do so would determine whether or not Obito trusted him.

So, supressing every instinct, he told the truth. “You’ve given me a reason to live. Before you came back from the dead everything was meaningless. I didn’t deserve salvation, but you gave it to me anyways. You’ve given me a light at the end of the tunnel, a way out of hell.”

“You shouldn’t thank me yet,” Obito said, softly. “The path I walk is not an easy one.”

They looked at each other for a moment, about a foot apart. Kakashi had not activated his Chidori, but the air was electric.

“I feel like we can understand each other,” Kakashi said. “No matter how people tried to reach me, since you and Rin died I’ve felt alone. I don’t feel alone anymore.”

Obito touched the side of his face, and for the first time since they’d been reunited Kakashi saw warmth in his eye. There was a slight smile on Obito’s lips, and Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief that he had said the right thing. Much to his surprise, Obito’s fingers slipped below the edge of his mask. Kakashi didn’t attempt to push him away. Obito had never seen his face, and if anyone deserved to see it, it was him. The black fabric slid down, bunching around his neck. Then, Obito kissed him.

Kakashi had not been expecting this, but his immediate reaction was to pull Obito closer. This mouth tasted bitter—much more so than Tenzo’s had—like sake. Obito’s kiss was harder than the last one Kakashi had. It was desperate, and needy. Just like with Tenzo, Kakashi could not squash the feeling that this was more than he deserved. But at least Obito knew what he was getting into, having already suffered from being too close to Kakashi.

His fist squeezed a handful of Obito’s robe, his body warm and pressed against his own. Then, it wasn’t. Kakashi’s hand floated through Obito’s back like it was empty air. He pulled away, eyes heavy with questions. Obito’s eye was wide, the pupils of the Sharingan spinning. His face was frozen in shock, despite having been the one to make the move. It was clear to Kakashi that Obito had not planned this. Then, before Kakashi could conjure up any words to say, Obito disappeared, swirling inwards.

Tipsy, and tingling, and utterly at a loss, Kakashi just sat there. A minute passed before Obito reappeared, and words had still not come to Kakashi. Obito stood a good distance away, looking at him without a hint of emotion on his face.

“I think I’ve had too much to drink tonight,” Obito finally said, not sounding sad, or happy, or even embarrassed. He sounded indifferent, and that left a knot in Kakashi’s stomach. “It’s irrelevant,” he continued. “I need you to understand that. I need you to see it like I do. Everything in this world: you, me, everyone, is irrelevant. Any little bit of happiness we could steal in this hell is nothing but a distraction, it’s nothing compared with how good it would be in a perfect dream world. That slipped my mind for a second.”

“I understand,” Kakashi said, stiffly, too scared to meet his eyes but unable to look away. He didn’t know how to feel. For the second time in a row, someone he cared about had kissed him, leaving nothing but a mess behind.

“However,” Obito said, and a little bit of uncertainty had crept into his voice. “I think… I think I owe you the truth. I can’t expect honesty from you then not return it. Your feelings might change, Kakashi, I’m prepared for that.”

“I thought you already understood,” Kakashi said, “I’m never leaving you again.”

Obito laughed cruelly. “Are you sure? If it wasn’t for me Minato-sensei and Kushina would still be alive. And do you know what, Kakashi? I don’t regret it.”

“What?” The words weren’t registering. Obito might as well have been speaking a foreign language.

“Where was he when we needed him most?” Obito accused. “Where was he that night? He was touted as some great hero, but he lead child soldiers to their deaths just like every other leader in the great failed experiment that is the Shinobi World. So, when I ripped the fox demon from Kushina I didn’t pause. And I turned it on Konoha because there’s no hope for that place. If I’d succeeded in wiping it from the face of the earth you wouldn’t have suffered in ANBU like you did. The heart of Konoha is rotten, the strings pulled by decrepit puppet masters who will keep moving the world in circles and claim they’re, ‘trying to ensure peace.’ You said it yourself. The world would be much better off if those like Danzo were dead.”

Obito was breathing hard. Every word he’d spoken had been heavy with passion. He stared at Kakashi, demanding an answer with his body language.

“The village hurt you,” Kakashi finally managed. “You’re right to be angry. I understand why you wanted revenge. But Obito, I was there that night, so many people died. So many civilians… It wasn’t their fault. And Minato’s child, Naruto, he’s got no one. They weren’t perfect, but—” He choked, unable to keep talking else he would be unable to control the storm of conflicting emotions inside of him.

“I knew you wouldn’t get it,” Obito snarled.

Obito was right, Kakashi realized. He’d been right all along, because through wistful thinking Kakashi had been blind to the truth of what Obito had become. Madara had twisted him, creating something darker than Kakashi himself, something he had previously thought impossible. The beautiful dream Obito dangled was stained with blood.

“So many innocents died. The Obito I knew—”

“Died,” Obito cut him off. “He died like Rin. Go back and cry in a fucking cemetery. I don’t care. Though I suppose you know too much now. I never should have brought you into this.”

“I told you I wasn’t going to leave you, and I meant it. Please… you were always so much better than me. You were always my hero, Obito.” Kakashi was begging, desperate. “I won’t leave you in the darkness to suffer alone. I know what that’s like. Maybe we can find our way back, together. Even if there’s no redemption for me, there has to be for you. I feel it in my heart.”

“I don’t want redemption!” Obito loomed over him, and Kakashi got to his feet to meet him. “Not in this world. Any suffering I add is just a drop in the bucket and it will be worth it in the end. The ends justify the means.”

“That makes you sound just like Danzo,” Kakashi said, softly. “I just want to see you heal. I know you’re hurting and I hate it. We’re trying to save the world, remember, not tear it apart? We can find a way to achieve the dream without turning into monsters.”

They were face to face, Kakashi mask still hanging around his neck. The angular jaw and thin lips were unfamiliar to Obito; made him feel like he was talking to a stranger.

“I was naive like that too, once,” Obito said, no longer yelling. “I am a monster, and so are you. But right now, I just need to know, are you still on board? Are you still willing to follow me?”

Kakashi nodded. “With time I think I can make you see you’re not a monster.” He swallowed. “I’m staying. Always, Obito.”

The other man nodded once, then moved forward, pulling Kakashi into another kiss. Their bodies wrapped around each other, desperate and violent. For a moment Kakashi let himself forget what Obito had done, let himself forget the dangerous direction in which they were hurtling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, are you guys mad at me? What do you think of the direction I've taken this? Is this what you expected at the beginning? Plz comment to reassure me you haven't abandoned me. I know there hasn't been much kakayama interaction lately, and I'm sorry about that. The plot is what the plot is, though.
> 
> Next time on LIH: Tenzo must suffer. (My poor boy, why do I hurt him so?) Also, we get another Akatsuki cameo.


	9. Justify the Means

Tobi secured Tenzo back to the lab table. The man hadn’t said a word, but all the same he decided to give him a dose of sedative. Tobi injected it into Tenzo’s neck, and the boy didn’t even flinch. Tenzo stared blankly at the ceiling, a tearful sheen in his eyes.

Obito had been gone for a while now. He’d appeared to talk to Tobi for only a second, after the kiss. Tobi knew there had been a kiss because he and Tenzo had been watching. The intention had been to get Kakashi to say how much Obito’s plan meant to him, hoping that would make Tenzo more cooperative. Tobi looked over to where a massive column of wood had smashed through a shelf of chemicals. The wood style user was certainly difficult to control. However, Tobi knew for a fact the kiss had not been in the plan.

_“Take him back to the lab,” Obito had ordered, looking more unsure than Tobi had seen him in years. “That went too far… but I can use this. I’m going to tell him about Minato. That doesn’t concern Tenzo, or you.”_

So Tobi was left as guard again, but his charge had all but stopped fighting. Usually when Tobi took his chakra, every bit was a battle, but that had changed. Tobi had a feeling it wasn’t just the sedative they’d started using. Tenzo looked hopeless, broken.

He turned as Zetsu appeared, sprouting from the floor like a weed. “That chakra I got from him didn’t last long. We need to figure out how to hook him up to the tree, and fast, or we won’t have any brothers left.”

“Of course,” Tobi said. “You’re here to get more chakra, I assume.”

Zetsu answered his question by pressing a hand to Tenzo’s chest. White flesh bloomed from his arm, wrapping around Tenzo’s entire torso. Still, Tenzo didn’t move.

“Did you drug him or something?” Zetsu asked. “I’m barely getting anything from him.”

“Yeah,” Tobi said. “I didn’t want him trying anything until Obito gets back. We’ve been trying out different sedatives, trying to find one that doesn’t inhibit his chakra like this. So far, no luck, and Obito’s Genjutsu has too short a life to be useful.”

They had been sobering Tenzo up between doses with a shot of adrenaline when he’d managed to get free enough to smash up the shelf.

“Why not just use his DNA to grow a new clone?” Zetsu asked.

“Even less luck with that. He doesn’t have the exact same DNA as Hashirama after all, and it turns out wood release cells are almost impossible to work with. It’s a miracle Orochimaru even got one kid to live. I have no idea how Madara did it the first time.”

“Hmm…” Zetsu was only half listening, intent on Tenzo. A leaf sprouted, wrapping around Tenzo’s neck.

“Nothing to do but get back to work, I suppose,” Tobi said cheerfully. “Where is Obito, anyways?”

“I was just out there,” said Zetsu, awkwardly. “Obito is… busy right now. It’s a good idea just to wait here for him.”

“But that’s so boring,” Tobi wined. “Tenzo’s no fun anymore. He’s not moving around, or saying funny things. I liked when he was trying to fight Obito. That was entertaining.”

Zetsu rolled his eyes.

Feeling as if he was a thousand miles away, Tenzo heard Tobi’s words but did not process them. His head was thick with sedative and pain. His body crawled with the odd feeling of the parasitic creatures stealing his chakra. He’d gotten so used to it now it was starting to become barrable. All the same, Tenzo wished they would nock him out completely. He didn’t want to think, didn’t want to remember the things Kakashi had said.

_“…You’ve given me a reason to live. Before you came back from the dead everything was meaningless…”_

_“…No matter how people tried to reach me, since you and Rin died I’ve felt alone…”_

It repeated in his head on a loop, and he felt even worse because he didn’t know how to feel. Happy because Kakashi didn’t want to die anymore? Sad because no matter how hard he’d tried Tenzo had been unable to reach him like Obito had? Desperate because Obito was too far gone, and Kakashi couldn’t see it, and he was in danger?  Tenzo couldn’t save Kakashi. He couldn’t even save himself.

Maybe this was what Kakashi wanted. Maybe he already knew Tenzo was here and didn’t care. Kakashi hadn’t pulled away when Obito had kissed him. Tenzo floated in and out of consciousness, contemplating if he could manage to kill himself before Obito could use his powers to hurt anyone. But he couldn’t do it, even if he was given the opportunity. He couldn’t abandon Kakashi here, and he hated himself for it, but for now that usurped his duty to the village.

When Obito finally returned, he was unsure how much time had passed. Keeping his eyes closed, Tenzo tried to pretend he was asleep. Obito was going to try to convince him to give up, to stop fighting. Tenzo already feared he had lost the strength, but he didn’t want the other man to know he’d won.

“How much did you give him?” Obito asked.

“Not much at all,” Tobi chirped. “He’s just kind of been like this since we got back.”

“What was his reaction?”

“He hasn’t said a word,” Tobi reported. “He’s been all floppy and boring the whole time.”

Tenzo felt movement around him, but kept his eyes stubbornly closed.

“I know you’re awake,” Obito taunted.

Fingers gripped Tenzo’s face, lifting his cheek off of the cold metal. He smelled like Kakashi, overwhelmingly so, and Tenzo couldn’t take it anymore. Tearing his head away, his eyes flew open. Obito smiled down at him, but it was a cruel smile.

“So,” he asked. “Are you going to cooperate? This is nothing personal, really. I need you for the plan to succeed. _We_ need you. I explained the Infinite Tsukuyomi to you, didn’t I? In the dream world, you can have whatever you want. You can run off with Kakashi into the sunset and leave this horrible place behind.”

“It’s not real,” Tenzo blurted out, the words finally spilling over. “Being stuck in a Genjutsu with fake versions of people. No matter how nice it is, that means nothing. To dream forever… that sounds just like dying!”

“But it’s what Kakashi wants,” Obito shot back. “You saw how happy he is. How can you begrudge him seeing Rin again, or his father? How could someone like you understand how we feel? You’ve never had a family; you’ve never had anyone.”

Tenzo felt like crying. He looked away, refusing to give Obito the satisfaction.

“Help me make my plan a reality,” Obito continued, “and do something meaningful with your pitiful existence. You said so yourself, if it wasn’t for me Kakashi would be dead. And my mission has given him a reason to keep living. What are you going to do? Are you going to kill me? Do you think he’d forgive you for that?”

Tenzo couldn’t breathe. He’d never felt so hopeless, even when he’d been the last experiment left, surrounded by broken tubes.

“Let me talk to him,” he begged, looking up at Obito pleadingly.

“Maybe in time…” Obito smirked. “If I feel like it. Have you finally decided to make the right choice? Are you going to stop fighting me?”

Unable to stop the one tear that rolled down his cheek, Tenzo nodded.

“Cheer up,” Obito said, patting him on the shoulder. “I’m going to save the world, and it won’t have been possible without you. You’re a hero.”

Tenzo didn’t feel like a hero. He felt like a useless traitor who had been unable to protect the one thing he cared about. Obito was an artist, Tenzo could see the intention in everything he did, yet he was unable to do anything about it. Obito could put a knife through his heart without even breaking the skin, and he seemed to enjoy doing it.

They transferred him to an area on the wall where they’d been cultivating the strange white substance. This time from his cells, if he understood correctly. It was living, formless flesh being grown like moss. They submerged him in it, and it sunk in through his pores until he wasn’t sure where he ended and it began. It was like when he merged his body into wooden surfaces, except much worse and involuntary. He was afraid he would keep sinking until it covered his mouth as well, and he dreaded the feeling of it sliding down his throat. Thankfully Tobi—who he felt must be controlling it—left his face free, along with his arms and patches of his chest.

They put an IV in his arm which they would use to administer sedative if he “decided to be difficult again.” They also put sensors on his temples, and moved around him, occasionally saying words. He’d stopped paying attention long ago. This was all oddly familiar, the closest thing Tenzo had to a ratty childhood stuffed animal. He slid into a state of mind he had not inhabited for quite some time, pulling it close for comfort. It hadn’t mattered what they were doing to him back when he hadn’t known anything else. You couldn’t miss people when you couldn’t remember a single face that wasn’t wearing a surgical mask. It was hard to feel sorry for yourself when you didn’t even have a name.

Eventually Obito said, “I think we should be ready by tonight. Zetsu will be pleased.”

“We’ve been doing some great science,” Tobi agreed.

They stood not too far away from where Tenzo hung limply, both peering at a small screen that showed sensor readings.

“The only problem is,” Obito sighed, “he’s still too rotten to go back to the Akatsuki. We can’t have Nagato picking up on any weakness. That leaves me with some timing issues regarding that sensory crystal from the Land of Reeds. I don’t know if you were even paying attention, but I think I’m going to get Kakashi to go.”

“If that means we don’t have to that sounds like a great idea. I hate that Kakazu guy, no fun at all.”

“I dropped Kakashi off at a nearby town this morning, to let him get some supplies, and to keep him out of my hair for a bit.”

“Really? I'd figure you like having him—”

“Shut up, Tobi. The point is, I’ll be gone for a little bit. But first I think I’m going to test if our work has come far enough to heal me. You and Zetsu have already tried, so I figure it’s my turn. Plus, seeing me like this upsets Kakashi.”

Obito stripped down to the waist. The rot had spread a little even since showing it to Kakashi the previous day. He was so distracted by the black, crumbling flesh, that Tenzo almost didn’t notice the hickey on Obito’s other collar bone. He wished he hadn’t. He was thinking too much, making it worse. He had to detach, float back out into nothingness.

Obito prodded the white mass on the wall like it was going to attack him. Looking up, he noted that Tenzo had closed his eyes, though he could sense the other man was awake. Tentatively, he sunk into the substance until it covered all of the artificial parts of his body. He wasn’t far from where Tenzo’s legs should have been, but he tried to ignore that as the oozing substance had crept around his pants, and was seeping into his thigh as well.

It felt better, that was undeniable. The crawling itch and occasional bouts of pain which had been plaguing him for some time were suddenly gone. He did his best to manipulate the chakra flowing through the cells, pulling it into himself. Tenzo shuttered. When Obito finally stepped away, the rotted areas were nothing but faded scars. But it was still there, under the skin. Obito knew he wasn’t healed. This wouldn’t be over until Tenzo was connected to the great tree. It was the tree that was sick, so of course they—its children—were sick as well.

It was time to go get Kakashi.

It was a lovely day in the village that lay on the border between the Badlands and the Land of Waterfalls. It was still pretty far from Mountains’ Graveyard, but it was the closest piece of civilization of a respectable size. Obito found Kakashi sitting at a café with two summoned ninken eating scraps on the ground beside him. He looked at peace as he sipped a cup of tea.

When Kakashi noticed Obito at first he felt awkward. What they were to each other still wasn’t clear, seeing as he’s spent the previous night in Obito’s bed. Things had not gone at all as he had anticipated. He hurried to push the feelings down. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except for the mission. At least those were the words that Obito repeated like a mantra. Kakashi wished he could be that focused. He knew he would be unable to sacrifice Obito for the cause, even if the man himself were to ask him to.

Obito wore his purple and white mask, so Kakashi could not read his expression as he sat down across from him.

“Hey, Obito,” Akino greeted, raising his head. “It’s been a long time.” His black glasses glinted in the sun.

Absentmindedly, Obito scratched behind the dog’s ears.

“I have a mission for you,” he addressed Kakashi.

A mission: that was something Kakashi knew. He could fill his mind with the task at hand to keep the other thoughts at bay.  

“Of course,” Kakashi nodded. “Anything I can do.”

Obito helped him carry the supplies he’d bought back to his room.

“You could have picked somewhere bigger, you know?” Obito commented. “It’s a big cave.”

Kakashi shrugged.

“You don’t have to stay cooped up in here all the time,” he continued. “Feel free to come visit me whenever. Just make sure to knock first.”

Smiling under his mask, Kakashi nodded earnestly. “So, what’s the mission? I’m ready to help.”

“It’s fairly simple. I need you to pick up an item and bring it back to me. Though I have to warn you the mission is more dangerous than it first appears. You’ll be retrieving the object from a pair of S-class criminals, and not the type that like to play nice. They’re both new members of the Akatsuki, wildcards. I still can’t predict what they’ll do with any degree of accuracy.”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Kakashi said.

“I hope so. Their names are Kakazu and Hokira. They should just be finishing up a job the Akatsuki took in the Land of Reeds. You’ll be retrieving a crystal that is highly valuable for sensory type Jutsu. I wish to give it to my allies in Kiri.”

Kakashi recognized the name Kakazu. When Obito said S-class he meant S-class. Kakazu was infamous, and not the kind of person Kakashi relished having to work with. He was starting to have doubts about the type of company Obito chose to keep, but still harboured the hope that he would be able to pull Obito from the dark path on which he walked. In his heart, he believed Obito deserved redemption, even after what he’d done to Konoha, even with the criminal activity he was engaged in now.

“Sounds easy enough,” said Kakashi. “I’m more than happy to do it. But why aren’t you able to go yourself?”

“When I interact with the Akatsuki I go by the name Tobi, and I use his… grating personality. I wish to remain in the shadows and allow Nagato and Konan to run things. However, they are aware of me, and if I were to go and collect the crystal it would raise some questions. What Kakazu knows is that Pein has made a deal for the crystal, the details of which he is not privy too. Kakazu must believe the organization is getting something of value in return, as the crystal is worth a lot and Kakazu is rather money oriented. Since he joined the Akatsuki he’s already taken over management of the organization’s finances.”

“Why him?” Kakashi ventured. “He isn’t the most reputable character.”

“To achieve our goals the Akatsuki needs power, and there are very few things more powerful than money. I understand why Nagato recruited him. We need dangerous, capable Shinobi so that we can gain a monopoly on the industry of war. We need to outcompete the hidden villages, and that is not an easy task,” Obito explained, giving the same speech he had given many times before.

“Are you sure there’s no other way?”

“Would I be attempting something so difficult if there was?”

“I’d just hate to see you lose yourself along the way.”

“Myself? I am nobody, Kakashi. To many I am Madara Uchiha. To others, Tobi. You’re the only human alive who calls me by my original name.”

“That isn’t enough, is it?”

Obito laughed. “It doesn’t matter. A name is meaningless; a past is meaningless. Identity is a useless thing.”

The past isn’t meaningless to me, Kakashi wanted to say, but did not. He just needed time. The Obito he’d known would come back to him in time, as long as he didn’t give up.

In an area leading off Obito’s room, a large variety of weapons were stored. Kakashi sword had been broken during the fight with Fuguki, and he chose one similar in style to the standard issue ANBU blades. Obito picked up a weapon of his own, a fan that Kakashi recognized from myth. It was a Gunbai, the legendary weapon of Madara Uchiha.  

With the mask, the long hair, and the large weapon strapped to his back Obito looked nothing like the boy Kakashi had once known. He looked powerful, and dangerous. Noticing Kakashi’s stare, Obito cocked his head to the side slightly. Then, he took his arm and transported them to another unfamiliar tunnel, assumedly attached to Mountains’ Graveyard. He was still going on about the Akatsuki’s plans for world domination, like they were something Kakashi should be happy about. But the more Obito talked, with this voice, in this way, the more Kakashi’s heart sunk.

Obito went over some minuscule mission details as they walked. Sunlight came into view ahead of them, and they walked up the gradual slope towards it.

“The tunnel system originating at Mountains’ Graveyard stretches across the entire continent,” Obito explained. “We’re in the Land of Reeds so you won’t be able to walk back. However, when you’ve completed your mission return to this tunnel and the Zetsu will be able to sense you. I’ll come and get you.”

They paused in the tunnel mouth. “Be careful,” Obito warned. “Kakazu is greedy and short tempered, and I’m not sure I can trust him yet. They say he’s immortal. Hokira is a plain and simple psychopath. She’s a powerful Genjutsu user so be on your guard.”

“Understood.”

Before he disappeared, Obito squeezed Kakashi’s arm, his hand hovering there just a second longer than it needed to. The entrance to the tunnel was obscured by roots and hanging moss. Kakashi pushed his way through, stepping out into the sun.

Though he was far away from where he had been this morning, it was a lovely day here as well. Obito had given a black cloak with a hood and it was getting a little warm. All the same he kept it on, liking the way it kept his face in shadows. At least he still had his mask, but being unable to hide his Sharingan behind a headband or mask made him a littler nervous.

The first thing he noticed was the plume of smoke on the horizon. It hung like a cloud, the fire that had spawned it mostly gone. As he approached the village in which he was supposed to meet the Akatsuki the signs of a battle became more evident. Obito had told him that the Akatsuki had been hired by a neighbouring village to, “take control of the area,” but the truth of this looked a lot more like war than Kakashi had imagined.

A river lay between him and the destroyed buildings. The rope bridge was gone, but he hopped down and walked across the water. It was when he reached the other bank that the smell of death hit him. It was like any battlefield he had ever been on, but the bodies weren’t of two opposing factions of Shinobi. They were farmers, civilians, the weapons makeshift and thrown together. Blood soaked into the hardpacked ground. Fires still smoldered in the remains of what had once been these peoples’ lives. It was closer to rubble than a village now, and as he walked numbly through the chaos he did not see one living soul. There was no one left to take revenge.

Money, Kakashi thought, they’d done all this for money. In theory, he’d known what the Akatsuki were: mercenaries without morals or cause. However, seeing the reality of it was something entirely different. Did Obito know? Kakashi rejected this question violently because he already knew the answer. Of course he did. Obito pulled the strings from the shadows like a puppet master, and Kakashi knew in his heart that seeing this would not faze him. This suffering was meaningless to Obito now, just like everything else. To him, it was just a natural part of the world he wanted to end so badly.

Kakashi felt sick. No ends, no dream of heaven, could justify this. Like nothing could justify ripping the Nine-Tails from Kushina and summoning it in the middle of their home. Kakashi remembered the aftermath of that night, and those images blurred with the carnage around him. He owed it to the Obito he’d known, the kind boy with the captivating smile. He had to do something, stop him before he could go any further. He could see Obito inside his mask of Madara, screaming, trying to get out. Up to this point, Kakashi’s love had paralyzed him, but if he really cared about Obito he could not continue to be so passive. 

Feeling the presence approaching from a side-street Kakashi steeled himself. ANBU training and years of supressing his emotions would serve him well here.

“So, are you the one I’ve been waiting around for, or do I have to kill you?”

Kakashi turned to face the man, putting out the dangerous aura he’d cultivated over his years as Cold Blooded Kakashi. The criminal loomed above him. He hardly looked human, most of his face hidden behind a mask of his own. The red and black cloak Kakashi recognized as the same one worn by the main Zetsu.

“Kakazu?” he asked, emotionless.

“I’ll take that as a yes, but I’m considering killing you anyways. Time is money and you’ve cost me a fair amount.”

“Even if you could succeed,” Kakashi stressed the ‘could’, “that would just be creating more problems for yourself. Do you think Pein will be happy if you start something with me unprovoked? Now, where’s Hokira? I was told I was meeting two of you.”

Kakazu made an indignant sound but made no move to attack. “Dead,” he said, matter-of-fact.

He gestured behind him down the side-street. Among the sea of bodies, this one had not immediately caught Kakashi’s attention, but now he noticed that the woman wore the same red and black cloak. She lay slumped against a wall, a gaping hole in her chest where her heart should have been. She had been beautiful once: a blonde with angular features.

“Oh,” Kakashi said, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Don’t be. I killed her.” For a moment, Kakashi’s emotional mask slipped, and Kakazu said. “Don’t look so mortified. She was a serial killer in her own village, murdered more than twenty people before they caught on. The rumours are she trapped her victims in Genjutsu until they tore out their own eyes. She did it all out of pleasure, not for monitory gain or any sort of agenda. I never understood that. If you ask me, I did the world a favour.”

“Right.”

“Pein will be displeased with me, but I couldn’t work with her. I had to watch my back in case one of her whims sent her after my head. It was her or me.”

“I don’t care,” Kakashi said, the shock induced numbness caused coming across as indifference. “You have the crystal?”

“I do, but the question is whether I’m going to give it to you. I know who you are, you know? I like to know everyone of note in the Shinobi world. Last thing I heard, Kakashi of the Sharingan, you were Leaf Black-ops.”

“Yes, I used to be.” Kakashi met Kakazu’s eyes with his red one. He was not a fan of this topic, and he let it creep into his voice.

“Don’t get defensive. I suppose I have no reason to kill you. There are no bounties on your head of any reasonable size, and Konoha’s got the worst missing-nin bounties of any village.”

“Yes, and your head is in a spot of honour in the bingo book. With a reputation like yours I’d be hailed a hero if I killed you, but that’s not my job right now. Just like it’s not your job to be collecting the small-time bounties on the heads of your allies. So why are we discussing it?”

 “Don’t be jealous, you’ll get your face in the book in no time,” chided Kakazu. “Word in the wind is that they call you the Friend Killer. With a reputation like yours it was only a matter of time until you saw the light and ended up like us. If I were a gambling man I would have put money on your name.”

The words hit Kakashi hard. They rung true and heavy, dragging up even more guilt to mix with the guilt he felt when he looked at the destroyed village. It was hard to imagine there was redemption for Obito when he couldn’t even imagine it for himself. Was it too late? Were they both already monsters like the creature that stood in front of him?

“The crystal? Not to use your own words against you, but time is money.” Despite it all, Kakashi’s words came out steady.

Kakazu reached into a pouch on his leg and withdrew a blue stone about the size of his fist. Suddenly all the chakra around them was loud. Kakashi could sense the tangled mess of different chakras inside of Kakazu with devastating clarity, and the chakras of animals in the woods nearby. It was painfully obvious now that no living soul remained in the town.

“Yes…” Kakazu examined the way the light filtered through it, holding it with reverence. “This is a rather valuable thing. I’m not sure I trust the judgment of our esteemed leader that this is worth whatever it is he’s getting in return from your employer.” He paused. “What is that, by the way?”

“That’s need to know.” Kakashi extended a hand. “And you don’t. Shouldn’t the pay you’re getting from this job be more than enough to satisfy your greed for a while?”

Begrudgingly, Kakazu let the crystal drop into Kakashi’s palm. “Ah, but with what the Akatsuki are planning it is nowhere near enough.”

When Kakashi turned to leave for a moment he wondered if Kakazu would stab him in the back. It was not an entirely unpleasant thought; things would be less complicated that way. He was quick to push the thoughts down. He didn’t deserve an easy way out, Obito needed him. His friend was broken, a scared creature lashing out at the world that had hurt him. Kakashi understood. He could see himself in every mistake that Obito made. Obito had been a true hero. Everything he’d done had been selfless, for the good of the world. He’d only ever wanted to help people.

_“…those who would abandon even one comrade are worse than scum…”_

Those words, spoken with passion, dripping with love for Rin, they had changed Kakashi’s life. Obito would have been an amazing leader, an amazing Hokage. He still could be, Kakashi reminded himself. He could bring him back. It was that same love, that same desire to protect everyone that had twisted Obito into what he was now.

When Kakashi returned to Mountains’ Graveyard he did not get to see Obito for very long. The man thanked him, took the crystal, then disappeared again. That was alright, for Kakashi had something else to do. In his room, Kakashi drafted an intelligence report. In appearance, it was not any different than any other report he had ever written, but every character he wrote on the scroll was a battle with himself. He used a simple ANBU code, and closed it with a Leaf chakra release seal.

In the letter, he did not mention Obito. Instead he included all the information he’d gathered on the Akatsuki and their goals: they operated out of the Hidden Rain, their “leader” possessed the Rinnegan, they planned to take the tailed beasts for their own, and eventually the world. Konoha needed to know that the most dangerous criminals in the bingo book were coming together. Kakashi could not give up on Obito, but he had to minimize the damage. After today, he couldn’t just go along with the plan.

Kakashi had explored the central area of Mountains’ Graveyard thoroughly at this point. For example, he knew that on the far side of the mountain there was a sheer cliff face with hundreds of small entrances leading out at regular intervals. It was at one of these that he summoned Akino and Bisuke. The smallest of the pack, Bisuke might have seemed an odd choice for speed, but he was the second fastest after the slim bespectacled hound who would be his traveling companion.

“I need you to get this back to Konoha,” Kakashi instructed, securing the scroll to Akino’s leg.

“You should come with us,” Akino said, “bring the intel yourself.”

Kakashi shook his head. “I still haven’t given up on him. The intel doesn’t mention Obito, so please, you keep that to yourselves. Actually, don’t tell them anything. Deliver it and leave immediately, is that understood?”

“Kakashi…” Akino growled, disapproval obvious.

With a powerful jump, Bisuke landed on his shoulder, licking his face. Despite himself Kakashi smiled, scratching the small dog behind the ears.

“We’re just worried about you, Kakashi,” said Bisuke. “I don’t trust Obito as far as I could throw him. He doesn’t even smell like that cute little kid we used to know.”

“Don’t say that.” Kakashi removed Bisuke from his shoulders unceremoniously. “If he hadn’t saved my life none of this ever would have happened to him.”

“I think you’re in over your head,” said Akino. “Can you really handle this alone?”

“There is no other option,” Kakashi said. “Now get going. I don’t know exactly where we are, but I know it’s a long way from Konoha.”

“Take care of yourself,” Akino said, solemnly, and Bisuke nuzzled against his hand.

Despite their misgivings, the ninken obeyed. They descended from the entrance by jumping from outcrop to outcrop like mountain goats. Kakashi sat and watched them until they disappeared into the forest, still unsure if he had made the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last 3 chapters have had very similar structures. We check in with Tenzo, then we check in with Kakashi, and the binding thread is Obito. I hope the repetition hasn't bored you. I think it's time we shake things up a bit. Let's break the mold!
> 
> Next time on LIH: It's a new genre I just invented called Angst-Pro™. It has 5X your daily advised angst intake and is part of a complete breakfast.


	10. Willful Ignorance

All things considered, Kakashi had been having a good day. Maybe it was because Obito was in a good mood, seeming to have worked out whatever had been wrong with the first Hokage’s DNA. Kakashi got no more information than that, but it made Kakashi’s heart swell with joy to see that the black rot on Obito’s chest had all but disappeared.

That morning, Obito had finally found the time to attempt to teach him the Kamui. It seemed that Kakashi was completely incapable of fazing his body out of existence but he had managed to teleport several small objects. It hurt his eye, and it depleted his chakra like nothing else, but there was no doubting that it was a useful Jutsu. When Kakashi had fallen to the ground panting, Obito had touched his cheek gently and suggested that they call it a day. Kakashi had hoped that they would be able to spend it together, but it had not been long after the end of his training that Obito had disappeared again.

Kakashi walked through the halls of Mountains’ Graveyard, hands in his pockets. He’d just finished a brief meal in his room and planned to go for a walk in the forest. While he had explored the interior of the mountain fairly well, the surroundings were still mostly a mystery.

One second he was whistling softly to himself, as ease as he could be in these circumstances, and the next he was being slammed against the wall, a hand clamped tightly around his throat. His back contacted the stone with enough force to blur his vision. When everything came back into focus he saw Obito’s Sharingan through the hole in his mask. The pupils spun, then merged into the menacing design of the Mongekyo. Kakashi clawed at the gloved hand, struggling to breathe.

“Obito…?” he rasped.

“Traitor!” Obito threw him to the ground, kicking him in the stomach with a chakra infused foot.

Kakashi tasted blood in his mouth.

“Why did you have to go do this, Kakashi?” Obito asked, voice deep and terrifying. “Why did you have to put me in this position?”

Coughing, Kakashi attempted to push himself into a sitting position. “I don’t under--”

Another kick, this one Kakashi managed to block on instinct, but he was still in the dirt, Obito towering over him.

“I defended you to Zetsu,” Obito said. “I thought you understood. I thought I could trust you… I thought…” Somehow, he sounded angry and terribly sad at the same time. “I told you, Kakashi. I told you I’d kill you. I shouldn’t care, but I don’t want to kill you.”

Clutching his stomach, Kakashi pushed himself to his feet. He reached for the other man involuntarily, but his arm was slapped away.

“Look what you’ve done,” Obito hissed.

He activated his Kamui, and two bodies were hurled from his time-space. They landed at Kakashi’s feet, bloody masses of fur. A tearful gasp pushed its way up Kakashi’s throat. Bisuke neck had been broken, and he looked so tiny crumpled there. Akino had been done in by a blade through the chest. His sunglasses were nowhere to be seen and neither, Kakashi noted, was the scroll. Obito must have already destroyed it. At a loss, he just stared at the corpses of two of his closest friends. He’d raised them since they were just puppies. It was all too much, and everything was suddenly crashing in on him.

“I had to kill them,” Obito accused. “If I’d let them disappear they would have found their way to Konoha. I had no choice. You did this Kakashi!”

He was grabbed roughly by the front of his shirt. Kakashi’s body hung limp. Obito was right. He’d made the wrong choice.  

“I’m so sorry,” he attempted. “It’s just… the Akatsuki… they’re evil people. What you’re doing, Obito, it’s not the way. It’s not you. I couldn’t let you keep hurting people when I know what you really want to do is help them.”

Obito punched him in the jaw, and Kakashi stumbled back a few steps.

“Don’t talk down to me!” Obito’s voice seemed to shake the mountain itself.

 He tore off the mask, hurling it at the wall. The ceramic shattered into pieces.

“You told me your kill count, Kakashi,” he continued. “After the terrible things you’ve done in the service of your village how can you stand here like you’re righteous?”

“I’m not trying to…” Kakashi stammered. “I’m garbage. I’m beyond redemption. But you… you’re…” He wasn’t even sure what he’d been attempting to say.

“We’re both sinners, and we’re both trapped here in hell. That’s why I was stupid enough to think you understood. But you’re delusional. When you look at me you see a boy who died years ago. If you want your Obito back your only hope is the Infinite Tsukuyomi, because I can’t be what you want.”

“I do understand,” Kakashi begged. “I see you. I promise, I see you. I know how it feels to look at this world and see nothing but darkness. But there are good people, people who don’t deserve to suffer like I do. I know there’s a part of you who doesn’t want to hurt them. Leave this all behind, everything Madara’s forced you to be. Let’s go somewhere together and… and we’ll find a better way to fix this world.”

“Just shut the fuck up. You’d drag me back to Konoha to suffer with you. Why are the lives the Leaf takes justified when mine are not? I do what I must and I know why I do it.” Obito’s anger was mounting, bubbling over the top with quick, violent flares of chakra. “You’re a good little soldier, slaughtering civilians on orders if they ask you to, then burdening yourself with the guilt. You told me that story, remember?”

Obito lunged for him, and for a moment they exchanged blows. Kakashi was on autopilot, until the memories of the mission Obito was referring to came rushing back, then he let his arms drop to his sides. Obito punched him in the face, and he went crashing to the ground again. 

“I never should have let you get in my head.” Obito loomed over him. “This shouldn’t be so fucking difficult. You’re nothing! You’re garbage!”

Kakashi could not disagree. Obito kicked him once, then a second time, and Kakashi made no move to stop him.

“Defend yourself,” Obito demanded.

Propping himself up on one elbow, Kakashi said in a voice so quiet Obito could barely hear, “maybe this is my atonement. Judgment, for me, has been a long time coming. It’s only fitting that you’re the one to deliver it.”

Obito grabbed him by the hair, lifting his body halfway off the ground. Kakashi knew he was bleeding, knew he was injured, though he was unsure how badly. Everything was numb.

“You know what?” Obito asked. “Maybe you’re right.”

A hand closed around Kakashi’s throat, and he again found his back pressed against the stone. Obito was very close, his lips brushing Kakashi’s ear as his fingers tightened. It was almost intimate. The way their bodies pressed against each other was reminiscent of how things had been in Obito’s bed. Had that been so different than this? The hatred, the anger, and the desperation just wearing a different mask? Obito’s fingers dug into his windpipe and Kakashi decided that this would not be a bad way to die, much better than alone in a forest with his own hand through his chest.

“You’re pitiful,” Obito hissed. “It would have been humane to let you die that night. And it would have saved me this. I thought nothing could hurt me anymore, that the scabs were too thick. But then you had to come along like some terrible, nostalgic ghost then betray me!” His voice rose on the last sentence, but his hand around Kakashi’s throat loosened a little. “And you have the gall to think you’re doing it for me.”

In a raw moment like this that felt very much like an ending, there was no reason to hold back. “Not just for you,” Kakashi admitted. “For the world. I don’t want to see another war in my lifetime”

“Thank you for making this so simple,” Obito said, releasing him.

Kakashi slid down the wall slowly.

“Because,” Obito continued, “there will be a war. Lifetimes, however, are negotiable.”

“You’d really let me go see Rin before you?” Kakashi asked.

Obito yell of frustration was neither a yes nor a no. In truth, his head was such a mess of emotions even he did not know. He lashed out with his Gunbai. Once, Kakashi had wondered how a fan could be an effective weapon. Now he understood. The blow was deeply painful. As his head cracked back against the stone floor, it truly hit him that Obito was probably going to kill him.

Good.

This was a long time coming. He was a monster bread from this hell just as Obito was. Kakazu’s words from the previous day echoed in his head. He was a friend killer, cold blooded. Obito was right, he’d been the worst kind of soldier, doing the dirty work and never asking why. Now he was a traitor, a missing-nin, complacent in something he now realized would shake the Shinobi world to its core. Maybe he did not deserve to die, to be free, but he would let Obito decide. The other man could be judge, jury, and… Obito had raised the Gunbai again, and Kakashi waited patiently for the verdict. It came flying down towards him and Kakashi closed his eyes.

It never hit him. Yet, there was a splintering sound as if it had contacted something hard. And something was touching Kakashi, wrapping around him on all sides. When he opened his eyes, he was met only with confusion.

Obito stared in shock at the roots which had grown suddenly from the wall to encase Kakashi in a cocoon. His Gunbai was lodged in the wood, and he yanked it free. “Fuck!”

Through a small crack in the branches Kakashi watched Obito’s mortified progression of facial expressions. What had happened? Why wasn’t he dead? It felt like Tenzo. Was Tenzo here? Had he come to find him? But didn’t everything in this place feel a little bit like Tenzo? From the roots that ran along every corridor, to the great tree itself, to the Zetsu and Tobi? It was like Mountains’ Graveyard itself had protected him.

“Good,” Obito said, and he sounded more shaken than angry. “I didn’t want to kill you anyways. But this… this can’t happen. This shouldn’t be able to happen.” He was talking to himself more than Kakashi.

“What is this?” Kakashi croaked.

“A very unintended consequence, an experimental solution with unintended results. Don’t worry about it.”

“I think,” Kakashi said, “this might be something I need to worry about.”

“I said don’t worry about it,” Obito growled, then he paused and seemed to deflate. “I’m—I’m sorry, Kakashi. I like having you around, and you’re useful. It would be a waste to kill you. I need to go deal with this. Don’t try to leave.”

The last part had been a threat, but it barely registered. A new fear had wormed its way into Kakashi’s mind, one so terrible and paralyzing it was all consuming. It was a question he was too scared to even ask himself, but it pushed everything else from his mind: all thoughts of death, even most of the guilt. There was nothing but the fear now, and the numbing denial. He was thinking too much, connecting pieces that should not be connected. It couldn’t be.

For an indiscernible amount of time after Obito disappeared Kakashi could not find the strength to move his battered body. He lay slumped against the wood, feeling the familiar chakra, diluted as it was. It flowed through the veins of Mountains’ Graveyard, and he was unsure how long it had been there. Whatever this was had protected him, like an old friend.

In a chamber far below, at the base of the great tree, Obito confronted Tobi with the excess adrenaline from his fight with Kakashi. It manifested as a panicked sort of anger.

“How could this have happened?” he demanded.

“He’s in the Zetsu network,” Tobi defended. “He knows everything we know. There’s no way to prevent that.”

“I don’t care if he knows!” Obito snapped. “He shouldn’t be able to control the great tree’s roots. He shouldn’t be able to do anything at all!”

All the hairs on Obito’s body stood on end. He could feel piercing eyes on him. Tenzo was awake, staring at him from his position merged into the trunk. He looked odd, like neither flesh nor bark. He did not move, so he could have been a statue, but consciousness was obvious from the hatred in his dark eyes.

“Well I guess there was no way to know how this was going to go,” said Tobi. “But we still haven’t found a sedative that doesn’t slow down chakra flow. So what do we do?”

“Genjutsu,” Obito said. “For now. We know one thing for sure, we can’t leave him conscious, not when he has that much control.”

Obito was bracing himself for a fight, for the tree to come to life and try to kill him.

“You can’t see it,” said Tobi, “but there’s a battle going on. Zetsu and I, and every other one of our brothers are fighting for control. It took an immense amount of will for him even to do what he did.”

Approaching his captive, Obito tried to focus. Tenzo’s motionless gaze was somehow like a weapon, and Genjutsu had never been his strong suit. Obito knew he was cracking up. The war inside himself was a brutal one. He was weak, falling apart at the seams and ruining everything he’d worked for. They stood face to face, and for a moment Obito’s mind went blank. What kind of monster was he?

“Thank you.” The words left Obito’s mouth involuntarily.

He would pretend he did not know where they had come from. He would pretend he did not know why he had said them. He felt hate and gratitude, respect and jealousy all at once, and guilt, so much guilt. But it was all smothered by the anger, the all-consuming anger he felt at the world, and at Kakashi, and at Tenzo for being like this. Focusing his chakra to his eye, Obito cast the Jutsu. He wasn’t sure how well it had worked, but he was unable to keep the eye contact for one more second.

“I’m going to the lab,” Obito told Tobi. “I messed up, but I’m going to fix this. You’re on guard.”

“Right, boss!”

So Obito would burry himself in work. If he was unable to control what was inside himself, he was desperate to control everything else. He did not clean any of the messes he’d left in his wake. He did not speak to Zetsu, did not even visit where he’d left Kakashi.

In that hallway that felt like a tomb Kakashi still lay in the nest of roots. He was bloody, and shaking, and trying not to cry. Akino had been right. He was in far over his head with Obito. But he couldn’t give up. There was something he had to do, something he had to know. The roots had loosened around him so that he could easily escape their embrace. They sat unmoving, growing from the cave wall like they had always been there. Leaning on them for support, Kakashi took account of his injuries. He knew his face was a mess, and he could tell that a few of his ribs must be broken. Though they were hidden by the fabric of his mask, Kakashi was aware there were bruises around his neck where Obito’s hand had been. But he could stand… almost.

Kakashi’s knees gave out, but it had partially been a choice. He knelt by the bodies of the dogs.

“I’m so sorry,” he choked out.

He stroked Bisuke’s fur, hand coming away bloody. He straightened both of their headbands, rubbing out a spot of gore. They had both been better Shinobi then him: loyal and brave. Kakashi wished to give them a proper burial, a funeral where the rest of the pack would get to say goodbye, but right now he did not have the time. All Kakashi could do was move their bodies into the cocoon of roots and promise to come back for them.

There was something Kakashi had to do right now. He needed to know that he was wrong. He needed to know that the terrible fear that had gripped him was nothing but a nightmare. It wasn’t true, he reassured himself. Tenzo was safe somewhere, better off without him.

Kakashi slipped into a stealthy stance, Kunai in his hand. Every corner he turned he expected to see Obito, and braced himself for a blow that did not come. When he reached the path that he knew lead down to the underground lake and the trunk of the tree, he found it blocked off. A little way down the tunnel huge roots had grown through the rock, tangling together to form a wall. Kakashi was unsure how thick this barrier was, and knew that attempting to force his way through would bring unwanted attention.

There was another way to get down there. Heart beating loud in his chest, Kakashi approached the doors to Obito’s room. He listened, smelled, searched for any sign of chakra. It did not feel as if he was here, but still Kakashi was paralyzed. His hand hovered inches from the wooden doors. Obito could appear anywhere at any time. But what does it matter if he kills me, Kakashi reminded himself. It wouldn’t matter as long as he knew that the roots that had saved his life came from some other mysterious cause, and not Tenzo. So many times in battle, Kakashi had been saved in much the same way. Tenzo was always there, always had his back, even when he wished that he didn’t.

Kakashi pushed the doors, and they swung inwards. Obito’s room was much too large for the sparse furnishings. Kakashi’s eyes landed on the bed for a moment, then flickered to the throne at the base of the statue. It sat cross-legged on its flower, calm in the same way the air was before a storm. Kakashi could not look at the statue for very long, but even the chakra of this terrible thing felt a bit like Tenzo. Had the Gedo Statue saved him? No, the bared teeth said, this thing did not save.

Leaping across the small gap, Kakashi grabbed one of the peddles and swung until he made contact with the trunk. Jabbing a Kunai in to slow his fall and focusing chakra into his hands and feet, Kakashi slid down. The ominous lake glinted far below, and Kakashi looked around nervously for signs of Obito or any of the others, but there was no one in the spacious cavern. Or so it seemed, at first.

“No!” the word ripped from Kakashi’s throat like a sob.

Tenzo was where Hashirama’s clone had been, the first time Kakashi had been here. His large eyes were open, but they were vacant. Kakashi ran to him, jumping from root to root. He touched his face and his slightly damp hair, searching for some sign he wasn’t real, praying that this was an illusion, or some terrible dream.

“No, no, no, no Tenzo,” Kakashi pleaded feverishly. “Oh gods.”

Kakashi felt sick, and claustrophobic under the tons of rock above.

“I’m going to get you out of here,” he promised.

But before Tenzo’s chest met the tree, it turned to wood, like he had grown out of it opposed to being trapped. Kakashi was afraid to cut him free for fear of hurting him, so all he could do was beg.

“Tenzo…” Kakashi cradled his head, burying his face in the other man’s shoulder. “Tenzo I’m so sorry.”

Tenzo was unresponsive. This was Genjutsu, Kakashi realized, Obito’s Genjutsu. Placing his hand against Tenzo’s chest, Kakashi reached out with his chakra. At first nothing happened, then Tenzo made a noise like he was in pain. His eyes closed, and he slumped forward away from the trunk. The wood still confined him, but his skin had returned to its normal texture. Kakashi’s heart beat loud in his chest. Time was short. It felt like there was a bomb counting down in the room, but he couldn’t make out the numbers.

Kakashi cut into the wood with his Kunai, desperation making him sloppy. This was going too slowly, and the tree was healing itself almost as fast as he could cut it away. Activating his Chidori, Kakashi tried to make it concentrated, like a scalpel. Wrapping his other arm around Tenzo he slammed it into the trunk. To say the tree was screaming would have been inaccurate. It wasn’t sound, per say, but it was terrible and blood-curdling all the same. As Kakashi tried to pull Tenzo from the wood it dissolved into the familiar white substance. Tendrils reached from the tree, trying to wrap back around him, and Kakashi slashed them away desperately.

Finally, Tenzo came free, and the momentum sent them tumbling off the root. They landed tangled together on the cave floor below. Pain rippled through Kakashi’s broken ribs, and he cradled Tenzo’s limp body in his arms. Seeing him like this, Kakashi felt nauseous. Tenzo was shirtless, letting Kakashi see the full extent of the damage. It had not been that long since he had last seen him, yet Tenzo somehow looked skinnier. His normally muscular build had begun to degrade and his ordinarily tan skin looked sallow. Dark circle bruised his undereye, but that was nothing compared to the actual bruises that littered the rest of his body. His arms were covered by countless needle marks, merging together into a patchwork of purple and green. There was an incision across his chest, stitched closed sloppily. There were other marks too, unidentifiable ones that must have been healed by Jutsu.

Through the blood-soaked cloth that was his mask, Kakashi pressed his lips to Tenzo’s forehead, and into his hair, peppering him with grateful kisses, because despite it all he was alive. He clutched at him, rocking slightly. They had to get out of here, but Kakashi didn’t know how. He couldn’t think straight, being torn in too many directions.

“I’m so sorry Tenzo,” he whispered. “That words have lost all meaning coming from me, but I am so, so sorry. I didn’t know.” Kakashi let out a choked sob. “It was so fucking obvious; how didn’t I know?”

“Willful ignorance?” Tenzo asked.

He was awake, and Kakashi laughed because the first thing he’d done was tease him. He hadn’t sounded angry, or sad, only slightly exasperated with Kakashi as he always was. Tenzo reached up, fingers ghosting around the outline of Kakashi’s swollen eye.

“Oh Kakashi…” he sighed, and now there was sadness in his voice.

Kakashi pulled him close and buried his face in his hair. He had missed him so much, clutched him tight like a lifeline. One tear slipped from his eye, but it was lost in the mess.

Slowly, reluctantly, Kakashi released him and get to his feet. “Can you stand?”

“I... I think.”

Extending a hand, Kakashi steadied Tenzo as he got his balance. Above them gaped the hole in the tree where Tenzo had been, like a wound. The white stuff bubbled, condensing and taking shape.

“Let’s go.” Tenzo grabbed his hand, fear seeping into his voice.

He pulled Kakashi with him, as a humanoid form emerged from the tree. It pulled itself free, falling to the ground below like putty. It was only then that Kakashi recognized it as Tobi, still attached to the tree by the back of his neck.

“Uh, uh, uh,” Tobi scolded. “No you don’t.”

He reached out an arm and it turned into a wooden spear. Tenzo shoved Kakashi away, blocking it with a hand he’d turned to wood himself.

“I told Obito,” Tobi said. “I warned him he was making a big mess. But did he listen? No. And here we are, all messed up.”

“Run!” Tenzo yelled.

Tobi’s arm melted back into its original form and wrapped tight around Tenzo’s like a snake. Kakashi lunged forward with a Kunai, but was trapped in a web of branches that exploded from the ground. This was Tobi’s wood style, not Tenzo’s. The tendrils were thinner, and Kakashi knew he could break free. He struggled, but the branches did not give fast enough.

Tobi unravelled, suddenly looking more like a nightmare tentacle monster than a man. He was still attached to the tree, and Kakashi could feel his power. Tentacle after Tentacle wrapped around Tenzo, dragging him away from Kakashi.

One branch snapped, and Kakashi activated his Chidori. If he could only just reach…

“Run!” Tenzo repeated. “Go back to Konoha. Get help. I can be difficult enough Obito won’t be able to go after you right away.”

Kakashi managed to free one of his legs, but his Chidori hand was still pinned. “No! You’re coming with me.”

He could tell Tenzo was scared, no matter how hard he tried to hide it—always the good soldier. Tenzo sent a plank of wood through Tobi’s stomach, but he split around it, the two new tentacles wrapping around Tenzo’s legs. Tenzo was still facing Kakashi, and their eyes met. Another piece of Tobi wrapped around him, then another.

“Go,” Tenzo pleaded. All that was left visible of him was a tear-stained face, and one arm, outstretched towards Kakashi. “I love you.”

Then, he was encased completely. Tobi gasped, curling in on himself. His voice sounded strange, distorted. He was on the ground, clutching his head as his flesh bubbled and shifted. Tenzo was fighting. The words hit Kakashi like a Chidori to the chest, and the lightning exploded to encase his entire arm, burning through the branches that confined him. Spike of wood burst from Tobi’s shoulder, seemingly involuntarily, and he screamed in a voice that was an uncanny mix between his and Tenzo’s. His legs turned to wood, then back again. Kakashi ran towards them, but before he could reach them, three White Zetsu appeared in his path.

Kakashi’s Chidori ripped through one of them, but the other two attacked at once. He was locked in a sparring match, too distracted by what was happening to Tenzo. The tendril attaching them to the tree pulled taut like a fishing line, lifting Tobi and Tenzo from the ground as they still fought each other for control. Finally managing to cut down his other two opponents, Kakashi was ready to leap, planning to sever Tobi’s connection to the tree. But the creature in question made a hand sign, and Kakashi felt the surge of chakra drawn from the terrible thing seated far above them. Massive roots exploded from the ground, bigger than Kakashi. They wrapped around him, pinning him in place more effectively than before. All he could do was watch in horror as Tobi and Tenzo were pulled into the trunk, disappearing completely.

“Looks like you figured it out,” said a voice.

The roots slithered back into the earth, dropping Kakashi, and he turned to see Obito standing on the other side of the lake. Kakashi got the feeling he had been there for quite some time, watching the scene unfold but not getting involved.

The reality of his failure hit Kakashi. Tenzo had been here the whole time, hidden just out of sight. Obito had been hurting him, and Kakashi had been too wrapped up in himself and his guilt to notice. It was all too much. He’d failed again, and this was a new kind of failure, because it came with a choice so heavy it was crushing him.

Kakashi broke down. Sobs shook his body, fat tears streaming down his face. He hit the ground with his fists, for once in his life uncaring that his emotions were showing. That was lie, he hated being this vulnerable in front of anyone, especially Obito, but these old concerns were trapped far at the back of his mind. So he cried: for Tenzo, and for his dead ninken, for Obito, and for himself. This world was a terribly cruel place, but it was especially terrible for the monsters that it bred.

Appearing beside him, Obito prodded Kakashi with his foot. Covering his face with his hands, Kakashi tried to hide the tears, but they just kept coming. The dam had broken and there was no going back. Kakashi was a strategist, able to think his way out of any situation. But this time he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to fix this.

“Pathetic,” Obito said, but it was clear his heart wasn’t in the taunt.

Ignoring him, Kakashi pushed himself to his feet, trying to size up the tree.

“You’re going to do something stupid, aren’t you?” Obito asked. “I think it’s best I get you out of the way for a while.”

He activated his Kamui, and Kakashi could do nothing as he was sucked into the other dimension.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always want to hear what you guys think, but this chapter I REALLY want to know. This was a big chapter for me, I've been building up to it for a while. So yeah, if you're going to comment on any chapter this is the one. Tell me your emotions and reactions and stuff.
> 
> Next time on LIH: Some introspection and action.


	11. Reasons to Live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Act 3 :) We're in the homestretch!

In the place behind Obito’s eyes, the two former teammates stood facing each other. Kakashi’s fingers found a Kunai, and though his broken ribs smarted he took a fighting stance. Yes, Kakashi had much to atone for. And yes, Obito had a right to kill him after the promise he’d broke. But despite all that, he would fight. This wasn’t just about them, after all. It was about the world, and about Tenzo.

“Let him go,” Kakashi said, trying to harden his voice as if Obito had not seen him crying just moments before.

“I can’t do that. Without him I’ll rot away. Is that what you want?”

Kakashi gritted his teeth. Obito put it forward like this on purpose, like a choice.

“Find another way,” said Kakashi. “Tenzo never did a thing to deserve this. He’s not like you and me.”

“Find another way; you always say that, but give no alternative,” Obito accused. “It’s just one life, Kakashi. When weighed against the world, Tenzo is nothing. I’m sorry you had a thing for him.”

“This isn’t about me. I deserve worse than I’ve gotten. But Tenzo is a good person,” Kakashi bargained. “If your plan involves hurting people like him I can’t stand behind it, no matter the ends.”

Obito rolled his eyes. “He was raised ANBU since childhood. I don’t think his hands are exactly clean. All the same, if you like him that much I won’t begrudge you seeing him again… in the Infinite Tsukuyomi.”

Kakashi hurled the Kunai but Obito let it pass right through him.

“Finally willing to fight me?” Obito asked, sounding surprisingly sad.

“I don’t want to, but you leave me no choice. You’re lost Obito. What you’re doing is wrong.”

Kakashi pulled another Kunai and ran at him. Obito blocked with the Gunbai.

For an intense moment their eyes locked, weapons grinding against each other, then Obito said, “maybe some other time.”

He spiralled away, leaving Kakashi alone in this infinite plane of grey cubes. Unable to keep up the façade any longer, Kakashi collapsed to the ground. A shuttering cough brought blood up his throat, and it dripped down onto the smooth grey material. He wasn’t going to die, but this wasn’t the sort of thing that healed well on its own. His chakra was dangerously low, and his whole body hurt. Kakashi crawled a few feet so that he was leaning against one of the blocks. There, he curled into a ball and tried to ride out the waves of pain.

This was truly hell, in the spiritual sense. Kakashi was almost convinced at this point, that he and Tenzo had unwittingly wandered into the underworld of legend. There were some stories that told of layers to hell, one of which was an endless forest. Peaceful at first glance, but the souls of the damned lay trapped in the trees, their flesh picked at by birds. It was said, that it was to this layer of hell that the souls of suicides were cast. Had he killed himself after all, Kakashi wondered? Was Obito no more than a vengeful spirit, trapped on this earth because of the promise Kakashi had failed to keep and driven mad by it? Or was he simply a demon that had taken a familiar form to tempt him with false dreams of heaven? Regardless, Kakashi deserved to be here. He had earned this torment.

Maybe, but if Kakashi knew anything it was that Tenzo did not deserve to be here with him. He was a thing of light, and of life. Obito had opened the ground and swallowed him up, and Kakashi wondered, if he were ever to make it back to the surface, if it would be winter there.

He needed to pull himself together. This poetic despair accomplished nothing.

He had to think. If he hadn’t found Obito, no one would have. Now, he was the world's best chance at stopping this before it got out of hand. Still, that was all background noise, because in that moment all Kakashi cared about was getting Tenzo out of here. Tenzo had left his home for him, followed him halfway across the continent because he knew it was what Kakashi needed. So intent on Obito, Kakashi had brushed it off when Tenzo had disappeared. He had been suffering because of Kakashi, and yet Tenzo still protected him. Obito was unpredictable, but Tenzo very well might have saved his life today.

After falling out of love with Obito’s plan, Kakashi had careened back into the state of having no reason to live. He’d wanted Obito to kill him. Having no purpose in this world was as good as being dead, but he’d latched onto Obito and his goals too hastily, desperate for something. It had just become another mistake. Now Kakashi had a reason to fight, a reason to stay alive. He had a reason to live until Tenzo was safe and back in Konoha. It was terribly short-term, just one small task. But sometimes that’s all you need to keep going: one task at a time, one day at a time.

 _I’ll fail,_ whispered a conspiratorial voice at the back of Kakashi’s mind, _I’ll fail like I always do, and Tenzo will die. Then, Obito will destroy the world and with it himself, and I’ll have no one._

“Save the self-loathing until then,” Kakashi said aloud. “Wallowing in it will accomplish nothing. I can’t give up. That’s not an option. I’ll protect Tenzo, and I’ll save Obito from himself, even if I have to fight him to do it.”

That was easier said than done, when Kakashi was barely conscious and stuck in a prison he had no way of escaping. However, despite having been given every reason, Obito had not killed him. Why? The only explanation was that, beneath it all, Obito still cared about him a little. Kakashi would have to use that. Right now, surviving meant giving Obito what he wanted. After all the psych evaluations back in Konoha, Kakashi was an expert at telling people what they wanted to hear. He hated feeling so helpless, completely at Obito’s mercy, but Kakashi had no other option.   

By the time Obito returned Kakashi had slipped into a shallow, dreamless sleep. A hand on his shoulder woke him, and Kakashi tensed, fight or flight instinct going into overdrive.

“Calm down,” Obito ordered, pinning him in place against the block. “I’m going to heal you so I’d prefer you not attack me.”

“I won’t,” Kakashi said, numbly.

He was unsure when Obito had learned medical Ninjutsu, but it was clear he was no master. All the same, Kakashi’s wounds weren’t critical, and it was a relief to feel his ribs click back into place and to have the swelling of the bruises recede. The same hands healed him that had caused the injuries. When Obito finished they were left silently facing each other; Kakashi slumped back into the block and Obito kneeling beside him.

“Thank you,” Kakashi said, the words genuine but purposeful.

Obito made a noise. “It seems like an exercise in futility seeing as you’ll probably try to kill me the first chance you get. I never wanted to hurt you, but you’ll force my hand again.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” said Kakashi. “I couldn’t.”

Regarding Kakashi with caution, Obito tried to make sense of the words. It was true that Kakashi seemed relaxed, his demeanor soft.

“You seem to have calmed down,” he commented.

“I’ve had time to think. I do… understand the choices you’ve made. I don’t want to hurt you either.”

Kakashi’s hand settled on his arm gently, not like an attack. Yet Obito drew back slightly. This change in demeanor was too abrupt. All the same, it was not out of character. It made Obito feel slightly sick, but the last time he’d lashed out at him Kakashi had done little to defend himself. He’d thought it was guilt, but maybe there was something more to it.

“Not even to save your friend?” Obito asked venomously.

It had the desired effect, and a myriad of emotions flickered across Kakashi’s face. “I... still want to believe there’s a better way; that you’re smart and can engineer some solutions. But I understand that—” Kakashi choked, “but I understand that these things take time.”

Obito rose to his feet, trying to put distance between them before he slipped and did something stupid again. Kakashi mirrored him.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” Obito asked.

Suddenly Kakashi’s hand was on his chest. He peeled away the purple collar, fingers ghosting over the flesh where the rot had once been.

“Because I can’t lose you again,” he breathed. “Despite everything, I can’t abandon you.”

Obito’s breathe caught in this throat. The reaction was involuntary, but his mind was still clear enough to evaluate the situation for what it was. Kakashi pulled him into a desperate hug, and part of Obito expected to feel a blade in his back, but all there was Kakashi’s firm grip and his head buried in Obito’s neck.

“Technically you’d only be losing half of me,” said Obito, refusing to cave.

Maybe Kakashi wasn’t like him, didn’t script his words and act them out as a means to an end, but Obito’s gut said they were the same breed.

“That’s too much,” Kakashi whispered.

He was still wearing his mask, but through the thin fabric Kakashi pressed his lips to Obito’s jaw. Fingers wound their way into the back of Obito’s robe.

“You know,” Obito said, voice not nearly as sharp as he wished, “I’m not an idiot.”

Kakashi moved lower, coarse kisses forming a line along his collarbone. It was too much. Obito grabbed him, slamming him against the nearest cube. Kakashi’s eyes were wide, apprehensive, and Obito realized Kakashi did not know if this was an attack or an act of passion. For some reason, Obito liked that. Ripping down Kakashi’s mask, he kissed him hard. Maybe this was a lie, a battle of a different sort, but Obito was alright with that. He still could not trust Kakashi nor his motivations, but in a way, that added to it.

Whether it was a fist to the face, manipulative words, or a battle between tongues, Kakashi and Obito’s relationship had been about power from the second they’d found each other again. At least on Obito’s side, for on Kakashi’s it may have been about guilt. All the same, these were rotten things on which nothing good could be built.

~

The other space-time should have been a prison without the possibility of escape, but somehow Kakashi had managed it. He stared up at the ceiling of Obito’s room, back in the correct universe. This should have been a victory so then why, finding himself in Obito’s bed for the second time, did it not feel like one? Once, a long time ago, Obito had been confined to this room. He’d told Kakashi as much. This place was where Obito had lost himself, and Kakashi wondered if the same would happen to him here.

Quickly, Kakashi dressed. He was just pulling on his sandals when Obito reappeared. The other man’s comings and goings didn’t even startle Kakashi anymore. Obito always seemed to flicker in and out of existence, always there yet never there at the same time.

“Going somewhere?” Obito accused.

“No…” Kakashi made sure not to look towards the statue, guarding the room below like Cerberus at the gates to the underworld.  

_Abandon all hope, ye who enter here._

“Come on.” Obito grabbed him roughly, and Kakashi did not resist as he was transported to another room in Mountains’ Graveyard.

As long as it was not back to the other universe, he would take it. Kakashi had never been here, but he knew immediately he was in the lab.

“What are we doing here?” Kakashi asked, finding it increasingly difficult to hide is true emotions.

Tenzo had been here. The signs were all around them; from a shelf smashed by the wood style to flecks of blood on the operating table.

“I have work to do, and I don’t trust you wandering around Mountains’ Graveyard on your own,” Obito answered, a cruel undertone to his words. “Do you mind keeping me company?”

It wasn’t like Kakashi had much choice in the matter. So he sat by Obito’s desk, collecting what information he could, and putting years of practice internalizing his emotions to good use. He gathered that the main Zetsu had returned to his role as a member of the Akatsuki. Whatever they were doing with Tenzo was working, aside for the fact that Obito had to check up on him almost every hour to make sure the Genjutsu was holding. That was what he was doing in the lab today, trying to find some sort of drug that would make that job redundant. Even for Kakashi, this was almost too much. It felt as if Obito was doing this on purpose, pushing him to see if he’d crack.

After Obito’s machine gave him a particularly unfavourable result, and his fist stopped inches short of shattering the screen, Obito rose to his feet with a noise of frustration.

“That’s it,” he proclaimed. “I know that snake has notes somewhere. He hoards knowledge like some people hoard money, but he’s not one for sharing.”

“Your talking about Orochimaru?” Kakashi questioned.

“Yes, according to Nagato he’s the least reliable member of our little organization, and I think it’s about time he starts paying his dues. I understand the importance of it, but I am rather new to this whole science thing. I think it’s time I contact an expert.”

When Orochimaru abandoned the village Kakashi’s hatred for him had been cemented, but it had only reached the height at which it now boiled after Kakashi had comforted a young Tenzo waking from the nightmares that used to plague him. They probably still did, Kakashi realized, and this would only add to it.

“Don’t turn your back on him,” Kakashi warned. “He’s the type to go right for the jugular.”

“Your concern is touching,” Obito’s hand settled on Kakashi’s arm, “but nobody can touch me now, not even one of the Legendary Sannin.”

Gripping the back of his head, Obito kissed Kakashi hard on the mouth.

Pulling away, he said, “I’ll be gone for a little while. Don’t worry about getting lonely, I’ll have a few of the Zetsu come keep you company.”

These words seemed to summon them, and five of the creatures sprouted from the ground like weeds.

“Keep him here,” Obito instructed.

“Yes sir!” they said, in perfect unison.

When Obito disappeared in a swirl of space-time, Kakashi’s heart rate increased. Adrenaline flooded his body. This was it. This might be his only chance. Zetsu and Obito were both gone. Aside for these grunts, that left only Tobi guarding Tenzo. The White Zetsu watched him with their disconcerting beady eyes. In an odd way, they resembled Tenzo, but it was like they took everything he liked about the other man’s appearance and turned it on its head.

“You’re a curious one, Kakashi,” one of them said.

“We can’t quite tell if you’re friend or foe,” another one joined in.

“Those are his dead dogs in the passage,” said a third. “They’re going to decompose, you know?”

Kakashi tried to block them out. He had learned that the Zetsu were connected. They could communicate with each other extremely quickly, if not instantaneously. It would only take one of them to tip off Obito. Kakashi realized this was inevitable, but wanted to postpone it as long as possible. That meant he had to get rid of all of them quickly, and at the same time. He was fast with his Chidori, but not that fast. But if he could transport them to a place where they would be unable to contact their brothers… Kakashi was not a master of the Kamui, by any means, but it was dawning on him that he had no other option. This was Obito’s eye after all, an undebatably powerful thing.

Concentrating, Kakashi drew chakra to his Sharingan. The Zetsu were still jabbering amongst themselves, and he fixed them with his deadly gaze. He felt the familiar sting of the Mongekyo, and suddenly he could see bumps and dips in space-time itself. Focusing on nothing but the fact that he could not fail, Kakashi activated the Kamui. He had never transported something this big before, but when the spinning stopped none of the Zetsu remained.

Something warm pooled beneath Kakashi’s eye, and his vision blurred as he let the Mongekyo fade away. He reached up to rub it, and his fingers came away bloody. No time! Tenzo! He turned the ancient lock of the lab, having no patience for the rusted gears. He sprinted through the hall, banging through into Obito’s room and not even pausing to give the statue the appropriate fearful stare.

He was already in the underworld, but it was time to descend to a lower layer of hell.

They would make it out of this. Kakashi had tasted the fruit of hell, but he would take Tenzo’s hand and they wouldn’t look back.

Focusing chakra into the bottom of his feet, Kakashi hung upside-down from the ceiling of the large chamber. Just as he’d suspected, Tobi guarded Tenzo, who had been moved back to the bottom of the tree where Kakashi had found him the previous time. Tobi was attached to the tree by a vine and he was talking about nothing, jabbering on to his captive audience. Kakashi would have to get rid of him like he’d gotten rid of the Zetsu. He did not look forward to it, as dried blood still coated his undereye, but Tobi could communicate with the Zetsu instantaneously despite his differing appearance.

From this long range, it was a gamble, and Tobi noticed what was happening. As the vortex focused on Tobi’s shoulder he attempted to dodge. Kakashi struggled to compensate, and as the Kamui completed all that was left of Tobi was the vine that had connected him to the tree, and his legs. Oops. Kakashi ran straight down the trunk, flipping as he approached the bottom. Tenzo did not immediately react to his presence, but the Genjutsu would be easy enough to break.

He grabbed Tenzo, sharing a bit of his chakra. “Come on Tenzo! Let’s get out of here.”

~

_Tenzo was in a small, dark room. All sides were made of white flesh, and he was unsure if it had been grown from him or Hashirama, or if it even mattered. It had pulled him in so that only his head hung out in the air. At the beginning he’d struggled against it, finally tearing himself free only to find that the floor was made of the same stuff, and that there was no way out anyways. Tendrils had curled in from all sides, grabbing, pulling at him hungrily, like it missed him. It would never let him go._

_Trapped in darkness, Tenzo could not help but remember the test tube in which he had his earliest memories. These fleshy bindings were not so different from the ones which had held him then. There was no point in crying; he’d figured that out long ago._

_Sometimes people appeared in the box with him, like mirages. They were never solid, never tried to help him. Right now it was Tenzo, the real Tenzo, smiling at him from where he was trapped in the opposite wall. I have nothing, Tenzo thought, not even a name. I’m sorry I took yours. I’m sorry I was the one to survive._ _Tenzo was sure that any of the others would have done better with the gift of life than he had. He closed his eyes for a while, and when he opened them again it was Yukimi’s face that looked down at him. Tenzo was trapped parallel to the floor, looking up towards the ceiling, and she stood over him._

_“Yukimi?” he asked, and she laughed lightly. “Am I alive?”_

_She laughed again, but did not answer._

_“Or is this a dream?” Tenzo whispered._

_She turned away, reaching out a hand behind her for him to take. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t even move. She walked away, fading into the darkness until he was alone again._

_“Come on Tenzo,” her voice sounded as if it came from very far away._

_When he was alone, all Tenzo could think about was death._

_“Tenzo!”_

_That wasn’t Yukimi’s voice. Was there someone else trapped in this prison with him? Knowing that there was someone else here with him, that made him want to survive._

_“I’m still alive,” he said aloud, as if just realizing it himself, and suddenly he was a child again._

_The lights in the room were going off one by one, and he was hit by the crushing realization that he was the only one left. He was alone._

_“Don’t leave me!” he yelled, at Yukimi, at the voice, at anyone who would listen. “I don’t want to be alone. No, please, I’m still alive. Let me out of here!”_

_He struggled desperately against the flesh encasing him._

_“Please… no… I don’t want to die…”_

_The tendril began to give, the glass of the test tube shattered, and light rushed in._

~

There was fabric balled in Tenzo’s fists. His face was buried in something warm and soft. Someone was holding him tightly.

“It’s alright Tenzo,” Kakashi soothed. “You’re not alone. I’ve got you.”

He held Tenzo’s head to his chest, and gradually Tenzo’s breathing began to even out. Even outside the Genjutsu, he was trapped in a prison of sorts, but he was not the only prisoner.

_When you’re alone, all you can think about is dying, but when you’re with someone else you think about surviving._

“We’re alive,” Tenzo whispered.

“Yes,” Kakashi said, immense relief in his voice “Yes, we’re both still alive. Now, let’s get out of here.”

“You want to survive too?” Tenzo asked, as Kakashi helped him to his feet.

“Yes. I do. We’ll make it out this time… together.”

Looking around, Tenzo noticed they were alone in the chamber. “Where’s Tobi?” he asked, unable to help the fear that crept into his voice.

“Gone,” Kakashi said. “I learned a new Jutsu. Maybe you’ll get to see it.”

He touched his Sharingan involuntarily, and Tenzo felt concern as he noticed the dried blood below it. They made a move towards the tree, but a sudden surge of chakra stopped them. The great tree was growing. Branches shot out from all sides like spikes, if not blocking their escape root then making it much more difficult.

“Come on,” Kakashi spun on his heals. “We’ll get out through the tunnel. I don’t want to go past that thing up there.”

The chakra was growing, swelling. Ripples spread across the surface of the lake.

“There’s something coming,” Tenzo warned.

The tunnel out of the chamber was blocked by roots. Kakashi activated his Chidori, but Tenzo stopped him. “That’s too thick to break through like that. I’ve got this.”

Something broke the water’s surface. Tenzo tried to concentrate on the task in front of him, but it was hard when White Zetsu after White Zetsu appeared, marching up the banks of the lake like an army. Tenzo fought the will of the roots. They were much more difficult than those of any other tree, but eventually they began to slither out of the way. Too slow; the Zetsu were upon them.

Kakashi attacked with his Chidori, tearing through them easily. But in the face of the sheer number emerging from the lake, it was near futile. Tenzo had to jump out of the way as a group ran at him, using a technique no more advanced than mobbing. He used one of the roots blocking their path like a weapon, knocking close to twenty Zetsu off of their feet. Landing on it, Tenzo knew he did not have much time. They were climbing up the sides towards him.

Next to Kakashi, with his full arsenal of ninja tools, Tenzo was grossly unprepared for a fight. He didn’t even have a shirt or shoes, Kakashi noted. Detaching his sword, Kakashi threw it up to him.

“Take this!”

Tenzo caught it, fixing the scabbard around his waist. “Thanks!”

The blade was in his hand just in time as the first Zetsu had reached the top. The sharp metal sliced through him like butter, and it was satisfying how much he resembled Tobi. Tenzo slid down the curved back of the root, cutting down Zetsu as he gained speed. Flipping through the air he landed back in front of the exit. He erected wooden walls around himself and reached into the tangle of roots in front of him with all of his will and all of his chakra. They parted, redirected towards his enemies who slammed against his shield, crawling over each other in a squirming mass of bodies. The upward curve of the tunnel was becoming visible.

Watching Tenzo’s progress with excitement, Kakashi found himself forced back towards the base of the great tree. He jumped from root to root, trying to keep above the mob of plant clones. The just kept coming out of the lake. It was like there was an endless supply. If this kept up, they would pack the room from wall to wall, and he and Tenzo would drown in a sea of Zetsu.

Backing away, he almost tripped over Tobi’s detached legs. Did he need them, Kakashi wondered. Was the creature dead?

The answer to that question was no. In the other universe in which Kakashi had been trapped not that long ago, the clone dragged himself across the uneven ground. All chances of Kakashi and Tenzo escaping unnoticed had gone out the window. In fact, at that very moment Zetsu scattered across the continent searched for Obito.

As he currently confronted Orochimaru in a secret lab in the Land of Rain, they had not yet been able to locate him. Though the Sannin was curious about his visitor, he was not one to be trusting off the bat. The Kunai he hurled at the masked ninja was a test, and nothing more. Orochimaru watched in awe as it seemed to pass right through him. In truth, Obito had simply transported a piece of his body to the other world, and he stiffened as he felt fingers dig into his stomach. Someone was in his space-time, shaking him with obvious desperation.

In his need to get Tobi out of the way quickly Kakashi had failed to consider one major downside of sharing a Jutsu with Obito.

“I apologize,” Obito told the snake, “this conversation will have to wait. Something has just come up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I know I mixed my mythology a little with this one... I was doing Dante's Inferno and Hades and Persephone stuff at the same time. (because why not?) So maybe they aren't even from the same century, they just both seemed to fit, and I couldn't decide. 
> 
> It feels like my birthday and Christmas at the same time, like some sort of Bristmas. I asked for comments and holy hell did you guys deliver! The comments on the last chapter were so good!! Thanks everyone for reading, the support is really helpful especially since my writing speed slowed down a bit this week. I got a bit busier and I also really hate writing endings. Now I am only 1.5 chapters ahead of myself instead of the 3ish chapters I have been so far.


	12. Don’t Look Back

Kakashi hurled a cloud of Shuriken into the mass of approaching Zetsu. They trailed exploding tags, and chunks of white flesh flew in every direction. It barely made a difference. They came at him from all sides, some dropping from the branches above. One landed on his back, dragging him to the ground. More piled one, spikes of wood shooting into him like spears. Activating his Kamui Kakashi managed to make a hole, and Tenzo’s hand reached in towards him. Kakashi grabbed it, and suddenly they were shooting up into the air on a wooden platform. Only a few Zetsu clung to the sides, and Kakashi slashed at them with a Kunai.

“I’ve cleared a…” Tenzo trailed off.

They’d both sensed the chakra at the same time. Obito stood on one of the nearby branches, arms crossed, and a new orange mask adorning his face.

“I suppose,” he said, and it was clear he was trying very hard to come across as cold and detached, but instead had landed on simmering anger, “that in this terrible world, there was no other possible outcome. In hell, there are no happy endings, no trust, no friendship. I don’t know how I could have forgotten that. You two will learn it as well, soon enough.”

“Make a run for it?” Tenzo asked, fearful despite himself that seeing Obito would pull Kakashi away from him again.

Kakashi nodded. Zetsu climbed up the column on which they stood, and up the trunk of the great tree. They took positions on the branches around them, looking ready to pounce at any moment. Like a rubber band stretched taught, the moment snapped, and the three Shinobi flew into action at once.

Making a few quick seals, Obito released a jet of flame from his mouth. Tenzo blocked it with a wooden arm, and hurried to detach it before the flames could reach his shoulder. The burning wood crashed to the ground below. It landed too near Kakashi for Tenzo’s liking, who was already on the ground fighting the Zetsu mob with his Chidori. He was attempting to cut a path to the exit, which was now clear. Tenzo used the tree to his advantage, trying to get rid of the Zetsu in its branches before they could jump down into the fray. And if he could manage to get some level of control over the great tree, maybe they could escape through the ceiling.

On the floor, Kakashi used an earth style Jutsu to create a fissure in the rock. Zetsu tumbled into it, but he wasn’t finished yet. Using water style, Kakashi pulled the lake into the new crack, then brought it up in a water wall. He was the copy-ninja, known for having mastered countless Jutsu, and he would need every one of them if they were going to make it out of here.

Suddenly, Obito appeared beside him. Kakashi met his red eye through the hole in his mask. The pupils spun, but the moment was broken as two wooden pillars shot from the ground, going right through Obito harmlessly. Tenzo perched high above in the branches. Obito jumped back before solidifying again, and Kakashi’s attention was drawn away by another group of Zetsu.

His Chidori went through the chest of one of them, and he saw Rin. After so many nightmares, and so many ANBU missions where her face overlaid the enemy Shinobi, one might think that Kakashi was used to it. But when she said his name, it was like the first time all over again. He tore his hand from her chest, and barely managed to stop the next Zetsu.

It happened again.

“Kakashi…”

Blood dripped from her mouth, and her hand reached towards him. This might have been a bit more vivid, but this was nowhere near the first time the flashbacks had crept up on him in the midst of battle. This was so alike the torture that his own mind put him through that Kakashi did not comprehend that it was Genjutsu. It wouldn’t have mattered. The fight raged on and it happened again,

“Kakashi…”

And again,

“Kakashi…”

And again,

Until he was face-to-face with Obito. Despite it all, Kakashi had not forgotten why he was fighting. He and Tenzo needed to escape hell, needed to make it to the surface, to see the sun again. He and Obito danced around each other, throwing blows that did not connect. It was still Obito under there, his Obito. The Chidori began to fade, unravelling until it was only a bit of static clinging to his palm. He couldn’t do it again. No matter the price, he couldn’t put his hand through Obito’s heart like he had Rin’s. Maybe that made him weak, but he did not have it in him. Rin’s face flickered like a second mask over Obito’s orange one.

“You couldn’t keep your promise,” Obito hissed. “I could never trust you. I don’t know why I expected more from you this time.”

The words hit home, and Kakashi hesitated. A second was all Obito needed. A gloved hand clamped over Kakashi’s face and a Kunai dug into his neck. It split the fabric of his mask, metal resting right against his skin. Obito’s other hand kept his head tilted back, palm covering his Sharingan.

“I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to fucking kill you,” Obito said. “So give me a reason. Please! Make this easier for me.”

Kakashi felt them teleport. He could tell they were still in the room, but could not make out where through Obito’s fingers. He tried to twist himself free, but the sharp edge of the Kunai bit into his neck. It drew blood.

“Tenzo!” Obito yelled.

Now fighting near the base of the tree, Tenzo looked towards the shout. Despite his drawn attention, the Zetsu did not attack. They had stopped as well, also turning to face Obito. Halfway to the door, Obito stood with a Kunai to Kakashi’s throat. Tenzo felt his heart drop down to his knees, and his hands moved instinctively to make a sign.

Obito stopped him. “Make a move and I’ll kill him. You know I’ll do it.”

“Tenzo--!” Kakashi’s shout was cut off by Obito’s hand over his mouth.

“At this point, I really should kill him,” Obito said, sounding regretful. “But I’ll make you a deal. You cooperate, hook yourself back up to that tree, and I’ll keep him around. I can’t let him go, of course. I know there would be no point in lying to you. I am being truthful when I say if you give up now I won’t kill him. You’ll be a prisoner Kakashi,” Obito said, knife digging even further into his skin, “but I think we can make that work.”

“I…” Tenzo choked out. Kakashi’s blood was staining Obito’s glove. Did the other man realize how deep the Kunai was going? “I don’t want that either.”

 “I know.” Obito laughed. “Lesser of two evils? It’s not like you have many options. I could just kill him now and you wouldn’t get away. I’m being generous.”

Kakashi jerked forward as if to expedite that process, but Obito pinned him in place. Tenzo hung his head, shoulders slumped. Obito picked up on the body language, and smiled a hidden grin of triumph. To his surprise, a vine extended from the great tree though neither he nor the Zetsu had summoned it. Tenzo had clearly learned to exert some level of the control over the thing, or maybe the tree needed him as much as they did. The vine attached to the back of Tenzo’s neck, and began to drag him backwards. Kakashi struggled more violently, and holding him in place without killing him was becoming more difficult.  

It happened suddenly. The chakra of the tree surged again, like it had before the Zetsu army had appeared. Then the branches grew into hands, moving freely. They slammed into the ground like the hands of god, crushing hundreds of Zetsu in seconds. Obito processed too slowly. This couldn’t be happening. Tenzo didn’t have the Rinnegan, he shouldn’t have had any control over the thing. But then again, neither did he.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Obito whispered to Kakashi, activating his Kamui. “I have damage control to do.”

Space-time began to spiral, but the hands were faster. Outstretched wooden fingers made contact with Obito, and he went flying. Even amidst the chaos, the abnormality of this registered with Kakashi. For the first time, an attack had hit Obito. It had happened right as he was about to suck him in. Obito attempted to teleport away, but another hand grabbed him, slamming him against the wall. The stone cracked. Obito allowed the wood to slide through his body, but without the support he crumpled to the ground below.

Tenzo had wiped out most of the Zetsu in the room, and Kakashi ran to him. He was held a few feet off the ground by the vine. His body radiated chakra, and his eyes had rolled back in his head. Kakashi sliced him free with a Kunai, catching him in his arms.

“Thank you,” Kakashi said. “It seems like you’re always saving me.”

Tenzo smiled, squeezing the fabric of Kakashi’s shirt in his fist as he steadied himself. A deep rumbling rippled through the cave, like an earthquake. A head peered through the hole near the top of the tree, nine eyes wide and angry. The statue was moving.

“It doesn’t want to let me go,” Tenzo explained. “It’s sick. It doesn’t care about small things like Obito and Madara, but it wants to live.”

Obito was on his feet, but barely. He was clearly injured, swaying a little as he approached them.

“Holy shit.” Obito’s eyes were on the statue not Kakashi and Tenzo.

It snaked a long arm through the opening, gripping the trunk. With the other it reached towards Tenzo. He had used its power, Tenzo thought, who was he to deny it his side of the bargain? Kakashi’s fingers intertwined with his, and suddenly it didn’t matter that a monster more powerful than anything he’d ever seen was bearing down upon them.

“Let’s go,” Kakashi said, and Tenzo was more than happy to follow him. “Earth style,” Kakashi ordered, “together.”

Tenzo understood. In unison, they made the signs, slamming their hands against the ground. Massive cracks formed, shooting across the length of the room and up the walls. The statue climbed down the great tree, almost spider-like in its movement. Zetsu were coming out of the lake again, and the whole cave was shaking. Chunks of rock fell from the ceiling. They ran. The cave was crumbling around them as they raced up the passageway. This had been the intention. The statue and the army of clones could not follow them if the mountain collapsed on their heads. All the same, the falling rocks were one more obstacle to avoid.

A Zetsu dislodged himself from the ceiling ahead of them, and Tenzo speared him through the head with the sword. Two more appeared from the walls, and Kakashi took care of them with a pair of Kunai coated with lightning chakra. They skidded out into the main hallway just in time, as a massive chunk of rock crashed into place behind them, blocking the tunnel. There were more Zetsu up here, waiting for them. They grew from every surface.

“Let’s bring this place down,” Tenzo said.

Kakashi’s eyes flickered towards the blocked passage. “Obito—”

“Can teleport.” Tenzo’s voice was flat.

Kakashi nodded.

Again, they synchronized their earth style, sending a wave of rippling stone through the ranks of plant clones. Stalactites fell from the ceiling, one almost hitting Kakashi who flipped out of the way. It was a mad dash towards the exit. The passage was caving in faster now, and they dodged rocks and Zetsu as they ran. One of the plant creatures appeared right in front of them before being promptly crushed by a falling rock.  

Something large must have fallen deep in the cave because there was a thunderous crash, and the shock wave hit them from behind. It knocked them off their feet, and they were thrown out of the entrance and into the open air. An avalanche of rocks followed them, and cracks shot up the cliff face before it too began to crumble. Kakashi practically dragged Tenzo back to his feet, trying to put as much distance between them and the falling rocks as possible.

There was a light drizzle, but thunder rumbled in the distance. Above them, giant birds perched on towers of bone. Kakashi and Tenzo scrambled up the embankment so that they were level with the forest.

Obito was waiting for them there. The front of his robes were soaked with blood. The Gunbai in his hand was being held more like a cane than a weapon. Rock dust coated his hair.

“For a second there,” he said, “I thought I was going to die again. It felt so much like that day, for a second I forgot nothing can touch me anymore.” There was a long stretching pause, the heavy static in the air not just the brewing thunderstorm. “You ruined everything, Kakashi.”

“I don’t want this,” Kakashi pleaded. “There’s still hope for you. I know the Obito I knew is still in there. Come with us back to Konoha. Leave all this behind.”

“I don’t need your pity,” Obito spat. “I don’t need some depressing existence in this shit world clinging to someone even more pathetic than myself. All you’ve done is made me even more sure of my path, more motivated to live in a world where none of this ever happened.”

“Obi—”

“I’ll kill you!” Obito cut him off, lunging at them.

Kakashi and Tenzo jumped out of the way in separate directions.

“And you’re coming with me,” he turned to Tenzo. “I’m going to rebuild everything. I’ll take you apart! You’ll suffer for this! You’ll suffer as much as I have!”

Tenzo attempted to block his attack with a wooden column, but Obito passed right through it. Obito’s ability was nearly impossible to defend against, but Kakashi had been watching and analyzing. Kakashi began to make a long and complicated sequence of hand signs. He had only seen this Jutsu used once, while on a mission he had planned to be his last, before he’d known Obito was alive. But he was Kakashi of the Sharingan, and one time was all he needed.

The rain swirled together into a massive water dragon. Obito activated his Kamui to suck Tenzo in. Kakashi knew this was his only chance. The dragon struck, gaping mouth swallowing Obito whole. It curled around him, and Kakashi ran to Tenzo’s side.

“He needs to materialize right before he sucks something in or throws something out,” Kakashi explained.

“We can hit him!” Tenzo exclaimed, relief evident.

“I still…” Kakashi stammered, feeling awful asking this of Tenzo, who Obito had hurt so badly. “I still don’t want to kill him. I don’t think I can.”

Tenzo’s hand was firm on his shoulder. “I understand. But if you’re in danger Kakashi, I know what choice I’ll make. I’ll never let him hurt you again.”

Obito fazed out of the belly of the dragon, collapsing to the ground and coughing up water. Then he flickered and the Gunbai was connecting with the side of Tenzo’s face. He went flying, slamming into a nearby tree. Kakashi brought the dragon back around, letting the rain add to its body. It curled like a helix, circling Obito faster and faster. It dove at him from above, and Kakashi touched it with his Chidori. The dragon was electrified, but Obito activated his Kamui, swallowing the entire thing whole. To do so, he needed to materialize, and a spear of wood slammed through his chest from behind. Tenzo was still on the ground, hands pressed together in a trembling sign. Obito coughed, blood dripping from his mouth.

Tenzo made a wood clone, his real body running to Kakashi’s side. “Quickly, let’s go! This might be our only chance to lose him.”

They ran, and Obito attempted to follow them, tearing himself free. His artificial flesh swirled into the wound, attempting to heal him, but the sum total of his injuries was hindering him greatly. Tenzo’s wood clone was there to meet him. Obito knew if were to attempt to teleport away, it would go for a killing blow. So he was forced to fight it as they pair escaped. At least, he might be able to use it for its cells.

Kakashi and Tenzo ran through the rain dampened Badlands, not looking back. The mountains here were the home to a massive species of hawk that some ninja made summoning contracts with. They circled above, their echoing calls eerie against the encroaching bank of storm clouds. Tenzo was limping, Kakashi noticed. He was concealing it well, but his uneven gate was only worsening with time. The side of his head where Obito had hit him was bleeding. The rain was cold, and he still wore nothing but a pair of tattered pants.

Kakashi was still wearing the black, hooded cloak. Removing it, he wrapped it around Tenzo. Their running speed had slowed, and Tenzo stumbled slightly at the touch. He was trembling, and Kakashi pulled him to a stop.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yeah.” It was unconvincing coming from shaking lips. Tenzo must have been able to read the disapproval in Kakashi’s expression, for he continued without prompting. “The… the tree took a lot of chakra. It doesn’t matter, though. We need to keep going.”

He swayed slightly, hugging the black fabric close to him. He began running again, and Kakashi fell into step beside him. He got the sense this would not last much longer. He was right, as Tenzo’s foot caught on a rock, Kakashi catching him before he could fall.

“We’ll never make it back to the leaf village without stopping,” Kakashi said. “And with Obito, distance makes no difference. You need rest. All we can do is conceal ourselves and hope for the best.”

Kakashi swung Tenzo’s arm over his shoulder, taking his weight. The rain came down heavier now, plastering their hair to their skulls.

“I can try to…” Tenzo began, but Kakashi was quick to shut him down.

“You can’t waste chakra making us a shelter. We’ll find something less conspicuous.”

Tenzo was crashing fast, Kakashi could tell. He put more and more weight on Kakashi as they moved through the forest. A bolt of lightning struck a peak not far from them. Kakashi spotted a small, rocky outcrop and left Tenzo leaning against it as he made some hand signs. Using earth style, he carved out a small cave. Gesturing for Tenzo to go inside, he began setting seals and casting chakra suppression Jutsu. This would have to be more camouflaged than even an ANBU infiltration mission into enemy territory. If Obito found them, it was all over.

“I want to help, Senpai.” Tenzo was still leaning heavily against the rock, right inside the mouth of their shelter.

“We won’t be able to get moving as quickly if you have Chakra Exhaustion.”

Despite Kakashi’s protest, hair-thin roots began to protrude from the earth, growing down over the entrance like a curtain. Task completed, Tenzo slumped to the ground. Suddenly, to him, everything seemed very far away, but Tenzo wasn’t afraid. He was with Kakashi, so everything was okay. He could not have explained why, but that was simply how it was.

He reached up, feeling the still sticky blood on the side of his head. Sometimes, he still felt a phantom version of the crawling sensation that had occurred when they were stealing his chakra. Kakashi gently removed his hand from where it was clamped over his ear. Tenzo hadn’t even noticed him kneel next to him.

“Let me take a look at that,” Kakashi said.

Gentle fingers brushed sticky hair out of the way, and Tenzo tried to conceal his wince.

“It’s not too bad. I have one roll of bandages with me, so I’ll wrap it.”

Tenzo sat obediently as Kakashi treated him, enjoying the closeness. All the same, he couldn’t help but look at the bloody gash across Kakashi’s neck. It wasn’t bleeding anymore, but it was ugly and a reminder of unpleasant things.

“Let me get that for you,” Tenzo said, afraid to touch the injury.

The thin area of exposed skin through the black fabric was a vulnerability, and Tenzo knew Kakashi hated those being pointed out. But Kakashi did not protest or pull away as Tenzo bandaged him.

Kakashi did not have many food pills left, but they both took one. Their supplies were meager, and they weren’t even fully sure where they were, but there was no choice but to keep going.

“I think the village will believe us now,” Tenzo said, trying to lighten the mood.

Kakashi wasn’t looking at him. “They’ll brand Obito a criminal. There’s no way around that now,” he said, and Tenzo felt a surge of the crawling sadness he’d felt since the night he’d seen them kiss.

“But he hurt you,” Tenzo burst out before he could stop himself. “Why shouldn’t he pay for that?”

They sat side by side, pressed into the back wall of the cave. It was the driest back here, as the storm raged on outside. A river of water ran down over the roots blocking the entrance. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

“I deserved it,” Kakashi said. “He had every right since he almost died because of me, and because I couldn’t keep the promise I made at his deathbed. If I’d looked for him earlier… We left him all alone with Madara… I…”

“Please don’t go back,” Tenzo begged. “Please—”

Kakashi cut him off. “But he had no right to hurt you, or anyone else. Just because I deserve to suffer doesn’t mean I’ll let him start another war. But he’s my responsibility. I’ll make sure you’re safe then…”

“Please.” Tenzo clutched at Kakashi’s hand, bringing it to his lips in a prayer position. “I can’t hear you talk like this. You have to understand; you don’t deserve pain. You don’t deserve death. You’re a good person who will do anything to protect your friends. It’s this world that doesn’t deserve you, and Obito definitely doesn’t. You gave him every chance, but… but if you have to go back for him, I’m coming with you.”

“Ten—” Kakashi didn’t get the chance to say anything, Tenzo squeezing his hand so tightly it was almost painful.

“I understand,” Tenzo said, “I can’t judge. I’d go back for you.”

Words failed Kakashi then, and he could do nothing but hug the other man, curling into his chest and burying his face in the cloak. Tenzo was real and solid, but most importantly Kakashi could feel his heartbeat. Tenzo wrapped a warm arm around him, playing with his hair with the other hand.

This is all I need, Tenzo thought. I don’t need him to love me back, I just need him to be okay.

“At first,” Tenzo said, speaking slowly, “I was happy Obito had given you a reason to want to live again. It seemed like you were getting better, and that was enough for me. But then I realized that Obito wanted to die as much as you did. Dreaming forever is no different than death, and you were feeding off each other, hurtling towards destruction faster and faster. I… I couldn’t save you. I couldn’t even save myself. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t…” Kakashi’s choked, face still buried in Tenzo’s chest, the word barely audible.

“I saw how messed up you were, but still I just went along with it. I honestly thought that finding him would help you. I could have told someone in Konoha, I could have stopped all of this. I…” Tenzo laughed, “I told him to talk to you.”

One of Kakashi’s arms locked around the back of Tenzo’s neck, a little too rough to be a hug. His other hand dug into his shoulder painfully. Their faces were only a few inches apart, and Kakashi was half in his lap.

“Why do you care so much?” Kakashi asked, voice small despite his looming presence.

“Because I know you. And I don’t believe that anyone who truly knows you wouldn’t care. I love you, but I’m not the only one. It doesn’t matter that you don’t feel the same way. It doesn’t change anything; I’ll still do everything I can to protect you.”

“Why…?” Kakashi’s voice was even smaller this time.

He hadn’t moved away. Their noses were almost touching. Did he realize how close he was, Tenzo wondered. Could he hear how fast his heart was beating?

“I’m not really the best at emotions,” Tenzo admitted. “I don’t always understand. But I know that if you died I couldn’t take it. I don’t know how you do it. You’re so much stronger than I could ever be. Until now, I’ve never had someone I could lose. You may be right, that it’s too dangerous to care when we live the life of Shinobi. Maybe I’m weak, but I can’t help it.”

Suddenly Kakashi was kissing him. He’d pulled the mask down so fast Tenzo hadn’t even noticed. It was somehow both desperate and gentle, Tenzo being pushed back into the dirt wall. Kakashi was straddling him now, and Tenzo’s head was spinning. He kissed back because this was all he’d ever wanted, but he was so tired he was barely in his body. He was barely in the moment and he hated it.

“How do you not realize?” Kakashi asked between heavy breaths, lips near Tenzo’s ear. “That you’re way too good for me? You suffered because of my stupidity. I don’t deserve you.”

Tenzo made a small noise, not sure he even knew how to speak.

“I love you too,” Kakashi said, looking at him right in the eyes. “How could I not? This world can’t be hell, or someone like you could never have ended up here. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love. I never want you to feel that pain. That’s a reason to live if there are any.”

“Thank you,” Tenzo murmured, wrapping his arms around Kakashi, for once not afraid to touch him.

They slumped to the ground together, limbs tangled up. Kakashi kissed his lips, and his collar bone, and his chest near the surgical scar, before pulling back regretfully.

“You need to sleep, Tenzo. You’re barely conscious.”

“Maybe I’m already dreaming,” Tenzo whispered, pulling Kakashi closer as he tried to move away. “I’m cold. We need to conserve warmth… it’s a survival tactic.”

Kakashi laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Of course, you’re right.”

They had no bedding, only the cold ground. Kakashi wrapped around Tenzo, pulling him close and trying his best to shield Tenzo from the cold. Tenzo rested his head on Kakashi’s chest, Kakashi using the bunched, black cloak as a pillow. Breathing evened out, and skin was warm against skin.

“I love you,” Kakashi tried, the words a foreign taste on his lips, “but I’m unworthy of the love you have for me. I’d do anything to protect you. I’d die for you.”

“That’s not what I want,” Tenzo said. He sounded sad, and Kakashi struggled to understand.

“I’ll live for you,” Kakashi said, as realization struck.

He felt lips against his fingers, as Tenzo snuggled closer to him.

“We’ll survive this world,” Tenzo said, “together.”

Rain fell outside, and they were so far from home. The fate of the world hung in the balance, and the odds were not in their favour, but when they held each other like this it didn’t seem so overwhelming anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, things are going so well. Weird that it looks like I have 3 more chapters planned. Funny that... probably just fluff or something...
> 
> (...that was sarcasm, I'm sorry)
> 
> I just finished chapter 13 right before coming to post this one. I'll be caught up and posting on completion pretty soon. I'm proud it took this long to burn through my buffer. I'm so close to being done even I probably can't bitch out and abandon this fic. I refuse to allow AO3 to become a graveyard of half-finished things like my FanFiciton.


	13. Forgiveness and Blame

When Tenzo awoke, it felt like any other mission. His body hurt, the ground was hard, and he could sense Kakashi’s chakra near him. But of course, this was not just another ANBU mission. Kakashi leaned against a nearby wall, watching him, mask back in place over his lips. Sunlight filtered in through the curtain of roots, and Tenzo sat bolt upright.

“How long was I asleep?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you wake me? We need to move.”

How far were they really from Mountains’ Graveyard? Certainly not far enough. They were still in the Badlands, not having crossed the border back into the Land of Fire.

“It’s alright,” Kakashi touched his arm, keeping him from jumping to his feet, “breath. Drink this.”

He held out a water skin which Tenzo took reluctantly. Kakashi seemed entirely too calm, but then again he almost always was. That was why he was such a good captain.

“You’ve had a lot of your chakra stolen,” Kakashi said, a little emotion crept into his voice. “And you haven’t eaten anything in gods know how long. It’s a miracle you were able to fight like you did.”

“I was just doing what I had to,” Tenzo said, honestly. “And now what I have to do is keep going, or he’ll find us and all of that fighting will have been for nothing.”

Kakashi offered a food pill, and Tenzo noticed he did not take one himself. “What about you?”

“Already took one.”

Tenzo didn’t believe him. All the same, he relented. Last night had been like a dream. Kakashi had said everything he’d ever wanted to hear, and it had seemed so real. Now, with the fog of exhaustion lifted, all Tenzo saw was guilt. Kakashi Hatake ran on guilt, it fueled every one of his actions. Reciprocated love was difficult to believe; guilt made sense. Still, Tenzo would take it, anything that got Kakashi away from Obito and back to safety in the village.

“I won’t let him take you back,” Kakashi promised, and Tenzo wanted desperately to believe him.

“I know you’ll try,” he said, as they pushed through the curtain of roots out into the day. “But you told me once, not to make promises I can’t keep. I think you need to take your own advice.” Kakashi looked down, not contradicting him. “I know you couldn’t kill him,” Tenzo said, “and that’s alright, I understand. And even if you wanted to… Obito is a very powerful enemy.”

“You’ve always been a pessimist,” Kakashi pushed for playful banter, but it was clear that Tenzo’s words had hurt him.

They began to move, travelling from tree to tree as was customary. Tenzo did not respond, feeling a little bad, but too anxious to force a conversation.

Kakashi became more serious. “Don’t sell us short, Tenzo, especially not yourself. What you did back there was amazing. You’re one of the strongest Shinobi I’ve ever fought along side.

Tenzo laughed dryly. “You used to work under the Fourth.”

“Yes,” Kakashi said, the word hanging in the air between them. “I wish dearly that you weren’t caught up in this, but if it was only about the probability of survival, there’s no one else I’d rather be here with.”

A smile pulled at Tenzo’s lips despite himself. He’d always known Kakashi valued him, but praise had always been few and far between from his Senpai.

“I’ve never seen any Jutsu like what you did with the tree,” Kakashi continued, “it was like a god, like a tailed beast.”

Tenzo blushed a little, increasing his pace to conceal it. Kakashi sounded so in awe of him it was difficult to understand, seeing as he was his Senpai, the most powerful Shinobi in ANBU as far as Tenzo was concerned.

“I don’t remember all of it,” he admitted. “I remember Obito had the Kunai to your throat. I knew he’d kill you, if not in that moment then eventually. He almost did once already. I couldn’t let him hurt you again, even if it meant I never left that tree.”

“You’ve saved my life more times than I can count,” Kakashi said. “Even before all this I trusted you more than anyone else. There’s no other Shinobi I trust to have my back like you do. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you, why you would care so much about me, but I’m grateful.”

They travelled in silence both on high alert. It was easy to fall back into their old routine. The pair had been on many two man missions together. They knew each other’s thoughts and movements almost as well as they knew their own. Sometimes, after extended missions, it had even seemed to Tenzo like they could read each other’s minds. They were like a two-headed creature who could sleep with at least one eye open, who could see in two directions at once. They moved swiftly through the forest of the Badlands, leaving no trace of their presence. 

It was impossible to tell when exactly they crossed the border. It was not well marked, and in truth it made little difference. They only knew for certain they were in the Land of Fire when they saw the first farm houses. The instinct was to ask for help, but these rural homes had no method of long distance communication, and it was risky to reveal themselves, so Kakashi and Tenzo forged on.

“The Zetsu will have been sent to guard towns,” Kakashi theorized. “Obito will know we’ll try to get help. Maybe it’s best we keep to the forest and not stop if possible.”

“Seconded,” Tenzo said, wishing to put as much space between himself and Mountains’ Graveyard as possible, “I don’t want to pull some innocent civilians into a fight. Since I was connected to the Zetsu, I’ve gotten a lot better at sensing them through their network. The only problem is, I don’t want them sensing me. It’s hard to get exact locations because they’re literally everywhere, spread out underground.”

“Even in the land of fire?” Kakashi was incredulous.

Tenzo nodded. “Obito had big plans, even if they weren’t going to come to fruition for a while.”

They gave the civilization a wide berth, staying low and creeping through the underbrush. Movement caught both their attention, not more than a few feet away. A Kunai in is hand, Kakashi looked at Tenzo, but the other man was already doing what he knew he would. Making a sign, Tenzo merged into a nearby tree. Seconds later, he reappeared.

“Relax, it’s just a wild bore.”

Still, the moment of adrenaline had brought the reality of the situation crashing back upon them. They could read it on each other’s faces, that they were both caught in memories of the hell they were fleeing.

Tenzo snaked an arm around Kakashi’s shoulders. “It’s alright. We’re almost home.”

Kakashi was wearing his mask, but Tenzo kissed the little, exposed skin on his face, right under his eye. It was little more than a peck, but Tenzo blushed, trying to ignore the fact that Kakashi had barely responded.

Though it was hidden within, even this small gesture was enough to fill Kakashi with feelings of love. He cared so much, and it made him so happy to be in Tenzo’s presence, but it also hurt. Tenzo shouldn’t have been the one comforting him, when it was Tenzo who deserved to be comforted. He was always so good, so kind, shedding the horrors of his time with Obito like a snake shed its skin. Or at least that’s how it seemed from Kakashi’s perspective. He felt like he was drowning in all the words he needed to say but could not find.

Tenzo had never left him, was always at his side, but that was terrifying despite how good it made him feel. It reminded him of himself, blindly chasing Obito’s ghost. Was Tenzo as blind when it came to him as Kakashi had been with Obito? After all, Kakashi was a monster too. Tenzo had been emulating him since they’d met as children, and if there was one thing Kakashi feared more than anything else it was Tenzo becoming like him.

With Tenzo guiding him lightly, the pair returned to traveling through the trees. Kakashi couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’ll never be able to atone for this,” he burst out. “Not this time, this is one sin too many. What happened to you… it was my fault. There’s no forgiving that.”

Silence stretched between them, trained footsteps barely audible against the branches. Kakashi wanted to die, or maybe just disappear, but he couldn’t until Tenzo was safe.

“Don’t tell me who to forgive,” Tenzo finally said. “It wasn’t you who did this to me, Kakashi. It was Obito. He hurt both of us, and he plans to hurt the whole world. So I plan to blame him, unless you have a problem with that.” 

“I…” Kakashi stammered, “he was…”

“A hero?” Tenzo finished, bitterness seeping into his voice. “Are you going to remind me how he saved your life?”

At a loss for words, Kakashi just looked at him. Everything he said just made it worse, hurt Tenzo more.

“I hate him!” Tenzo said, voice ringing out a bit too loud. Kakashi’s pained expression filled him with guilt, but Tenzo couldn’t stop now. “I understand how he became what he is. I spent a fair deal of time with him myself, you know? I wanted to feel bad for him, I wanted to believe what you believe. I know how much he means to you, but I just can’t. I can’t… How can you forgive him then ask me not to forgive you? He tortured me without even blinking and you’ve saved my life more times than I can count. You pulled me from the darkness and made me a person, not just a tool for killing. For years I’ve stood by your side and watched you do anything to protect your comrades. You put everyone before yourself, but you just can’t see it… You just…”

“It was Obito who taught me that,” said Kakashi. “Years ago, it was him who told me that any Shinobi who would abandon a comrade is worse than trash.”

“I never heard him say it, so what does it matter? You’re the one who taught me those words. You’re the one who made it your ninja way, who wound it into everything you do. If that’s really what Obito used to believe, more of what he was is alive in you now than in that monster chasing us. You don’t deserve to suffer, Kakashi. You’re the best person I’ve ever known.”

“You’re wrong,” Kakashi said, quietly, stopping on a branch to face Tenzo. “He’s a monster who hurt you, who released the Nine-Tails in Konoha, and I would never ask you to forgive him… But I’m just as bad. You’re wrong about me. I created him, and I let him hurt you. I’m a killer, not a protector.”

“You’re a hero!” Tenzo insisted. “You’re a soldier who does what you have to, but I have never seen you kill when you could avoid it. You taught not just me but so many others about loyalty, and strength, and the importance of protecting your friends. You’re a true leader. I know you’d hate every second of it, but I can see you as Hokage one day. You’re nothing like Obito, and saying that you are devalues all that. It erases the lives you’ve saved, the battles we fought with Team Ro. Without you I wouldn’t even be Tenzo, and it’s like that doesn’t matter to you.”

Tenzo had not meant for this to happen now. These were words he had been planning to say once they were home, and safe, but the fear had suddenly gripped him that they might not make it that far. Kakashi needed to know how he felt before it was too late, needed to know he was wrong about himself.

So Tenzo continued. “He’s not the only one the world beat down. You’ve suffered just as much as he has, but instead of coming out the other end a twisted thing like him you’ve become the opposite. I see you fight every day to save people from suffering, when all Obito does is create more of it. He’s given up on this world, but it’s so much braver to stand here and face it all. Will you help me keeping fighting for this world, even if it's futile?” The anger drained from Tenzo’s voice, desperation taking its place. “Or have you given up too?”

Kakashi wanted to say yes, because he had. He’d welcomed death, prayed for it. Obito had told him he didn’t deserve it, but that wasn’t what Tenzo was saying. Tenzo was asking him to take on a mission, one more long term than just getting him home safely. Tenzo was intense, standing before him with clenched fists and wide, glassy eyes. The words washed over Kakashi, too much all at once, and he did not know what to say.

“Please?” Tenzo’s voice broke. “You told me back there that you wanted to live, that we were going to escape that place together.”

“I meant it,” said Kakashi. “I’ll get you home. But I’m garbage, Tenzo. The version of me you see is nowhere near the truth. I’m worthless.”

Birds sung in a nearby tree, wind rustled the leaves. The forest did not care about the two boys standing a few feet apart, voices kept low despite the emotions threatening to overflow. It’s like Kakashi hadn’t heard a word he’d said, Tenzo thought, though in truth his speech was absorbing slowly, making Kakashi think of things in ways he never had before. Tenzo couldn’t see that, and he was drowning in emotion: anger, desperation, love, and others he couldn’t name.

He felt utterly helpless, but yet he couldn’t stop trying. “You insist that you’re worthless because that’s what he thinks. That’s not what anyone else thinks. That’s not what I think. You’ll die if he wants you to, even though the world is a better place with you in it. What happened to him has always haunted you, hanging over your head no matter how many lives you saved. None of the good you’ve done matters because nothing is as important to you as Obito. Nothing we’ve been through together, all the years in ANBU, none of it mattered as much as the one boy you let down. I’ve known that since the night you tried to kill yourself. You love him even though he doesn’t deserve it. You love him more than anything else in this world, so much that you let him get in your head, let him make you believe you deserved it when he hurt you… So, that’s why I hate him.”

“Tenzo, that’s not—”

“It’s alright, really. I know how irrational feelings can be. I don’t blame you for what he did to me, I know you care about me like you care about all your friends. And I don’t mean for that to be dismissive, I’ve seen how you fight for your friends. You’re putting the world before your feelings because that’s the kind of hero you are.” Tenzo swallowed. “I know it probably won’t make a difference, but I just wanted you to know. This world is lucky to have you. You could have ended up like Obito but you didn’t. You don’t deserve to suffer. You don’t deserve to die.”

It was clear Tenzo had burned himself out. The silence stretched on, and all Kakashi could do was look at him. Tenzo was breathing a little harder, looking at him pleadingly. He was such a beautiful mess, still shirtless under the dirty black cloak, sword strapped at his waist. His hair stuck out in all directions, hanging down into his eyes in ways it never could when he wore his frame. No one should have been able to look that good covered in blood and grime. Tenzo broke their eye contact, looking down at his bare feet. He chewed his bottom lip. The moment was ending and Kakashi fought himself desperately to do something, anything.

Suddenly, Kakashi closed the gap between them, pulling Tenzo into a kiss. He wasn’t good with words like the other man, couldn’t articulate how much Tenzo’s speech had meant to him. Kakashi didn’t know how to tell him how wrong he was in any way but this. Kakashi’s arm locked around Tenzo’s back, pulling him closer. Their mouths were dry, lips cracked, but it was still the best kiss Kakashi had ever had. Breaking away but still clinging to Tenzo like his life depended on it, Kakashi let their foreheads rest together.

“Thank you,” he breathed, “for everything… I won’t leave you. I promise I won’t leave you.”

Tenzo’s eyes were so close to his, yet Kakashi could not read the emotions hidden in their depths. So, he kissed him again. It would be so nice to pretend that nothing else existed but this warm body in front of him. He pulled him tighter, kissed him harder, tried to drag out the moment. Tenzo’s hands settled on both of Kakashi’s shoulders, separating them gently.

“We should keep moving,” he said with a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “There will be plenty of time once we’re safe back in Konoha.”

He was afraid, Kakashi realized with a start. He hid it so well it was almost impossible to tell. Kakashi had been wrong. Tenzo had not shed the ordeal as easily as he’d thought. Kakashi’s heart hurt. He wanted to reach the other man like he’d reached him, wanted to save him from any negative emotion. But the best way to do that was to get to safety. Tenzo was right, they had to move.

“We’ll make it home,” Kakashi said, taking Tenzo’s hand in his and squeezing. “I promise. This doesn’t end here for us.”

Pulling his mask back up and releasing Tenzo, Kakashi prepared to leave.

“Oh no…” Panic was heavy in Tenzo’s voice. “I’m so stupid. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“What is it?” Kakashi’s hand slid into his weapons pouch.

“There’s a Zetsu very close to our current position. I sensed him so I think he might have sensed me. He might know we’re here.” Tenzo spoke like a mission report, panic so well concealed Kakashi would not have heard it had he not known to listen.

“Which direction?”

Tenzo pointed west, towards the farms. They needed to head south to reach the village, but they angled east, dropping down to the forest floor and casting standard camouflage Jutsu. Soon they were forced from the trees as they encountered a large clearing. The terrain here was rocky, the soil too poor to support the forest. Kakashi and Tenzo made eye contact, silently deciding whether to go around. The decision went unmade.

A white Zetsu rose from the ground before them, grinning triumphantly.

“Found you!” he sung.

Kakashi reacted, activating his Kamui. Tenzo’s mouth fell open, and the Zetsu was transported away.

“You can do that too?” Tenzo asked, incredulously.

“It’s Obito’s eye,” Kakashi said, sheepishly.

They took a few steps out into the open, hands on weapons. On all sides, more Zetsu sprouted. It appeared Kakashi had not been fast enough. Despair descended on them both. The Land of Fire was vast, and they were still very, very far from the village. This northern tip was barely inhabited. Tenzo made a hand sign and spears of wood shot from the ground. Most of the Zetsu were impaled, but more grew to take their place.

On a jagged pillar of rock a few meters away, Obito appeared. He looked different. Instead of his purple cloak he wore simple, black armour. But more shockingly, he’d cut his hair. The mane was gone, in its place a short crop that was reminiscing of his childhood style. His face was hidden behind the spiralled orange mask so Kakashi could not read his expression. It had been a day, but it felt like much longer. Obito’s transformation only added to that. Subconsciously, Kakashi angled his body so that he was between him and Tenzo.

It didn’t matter. As quickly as they could blink Obito was standing behind them. From his time-space he hurled a barrage of Shuriken. Tenzo managed to spin just in time, deflecting them with his sword. Obito went for his throat. In defense, Tenzo aimed two columns of wood at his stomach. Obito was forced to dematerialize, and he passed right through Tenzo. On the other side, Kakashi was waiting with a Kunai in both hands. Obito decided to materialize at the last moment, and Kakashi stopped the Gunbai a few inches from his face.

As the fight wore one, Tenzo was forced away by a group of Zetsu. Their wood style was much weaker than his. It was clear they weren’t even as strong as Tobi or the main Zetsu. However, they made up for this in numbers. The branches they created were like spider webs, but they seemed to prefer the strategy of grabbing him physically. There were so many of them, and they stuck to him like putty, trying to drag him down. Tenzo fought with desperation. Not again. They’d never use him like plant food again. He’d rather die. Using the roots of the surrounding trees, Tenzo smashed through groups of five at a time. Forming a platform, he lifted himself above it all. He jumped from it to one of the nearby rocky outcrops before they could climb up after him.

Below, Kakashi and Obito were still locked in hand to hand combat. They were both excellent Shinobi, neither gaining much ground over the other. Obito did not attempt to teleport himself or anything else as it would leave him open to attack. Still, he would dematerialize before Kakashi could land a single blow. Kakashi, on the other hand, was taking damage. Obito released a fire Jutsu which Kakashi just managed to dodge. He rolled across the ground, and was attempting to get to his feet when Obito hit him with the Gunbai. Kakashi slammed into a boulder, and the wind was knocked out of him.

“Are you sure you want to give this up, Kakashi?” Obito asked. “The Infinite Tsukuyomi, a perfect heaven, just for some boy?”

“To dream forever,” Kakashi parroted Tenzo’s words, “that’s the same as dying. And I’ve decided I don’t want to die anymore. You saved me, Obito, and that’s why I can’t let you continue like this, even if I have to kill you.”

Obito laughed but there was no humour in it. “What is it about you, Kakashi? What is it that convinced me to bring you into this in the first place? Is it the same thing that had me chasing after you my whole life? Well, no matter how much of a protégée you were, you’re nothing compared to me now. I’m going to win. I’m going to take Tenzo back with me, and he will suffer. I’ll make sure of that.”

Kakashi steadied himself against the stone. It was like Obito was trying to make this easier for him, trying to sound as far from the kind-hearted boy he’d known as was possible.

“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” Obito said. “Despite everything you said, you decided to betray me before you even knew about Tenzo. Why? What changed your mind?”

“I didn’t give you up,” Kakashi admitted, a little confused. “What I saw when I went to meet Kakazu was too much, but even then I couldn’t give up on you. The scroll only had information about the Akatsuki. I didn’t even mention you.

“What scroll?” Obito asked.

Kakashi struggled to process. Behind Obito, Tenzo was fighting the Zetsu. He was perched high above on a rock pillar, struggling to keep the high ground with dynamic use of the wood style. Their eyes met, and all wondering of what Obito could have meant was pushed from Kakashi’s mind. Tenzo’s plan was made clear to him with one gesture. Tenzo made the hand signs, and Kakashi jumped out of the way, struggling to climb the side of the bolder he’d been slammed into.

A waterfall sprung into existence, crashing down the steep face of the outcrop on which Tenzo perched. Spray reached Kakashi on his lower rock, leaving him dripping. It was a powerful water style, even more so than the dragon Kakashi had created, and the Zetsu in the surrounding area were pulled under. It changed the battlefield completely; from a rocky clearing to a smattering of islands in a fast-moving river. It ran downhill into the trees, leaving solid land behind where Tenzo stood. Obito wasn’t even wet. He’d let the water run through him.

He teleported suddenly, and Kakashi cursed his reaction time. The Kunai he’d thrown passed through where Obito had been milliseconds too late. Obito appeared beside Tenzo, forgoing weapons and punching the other man in the face. It was a powerful blow, knocking Tenzo off the pillar and into the water below. Kakashi tried to focus chakra into the bottom of his feet, but the water was moving too fast for standing on it to be practical. He could only manage it if he moved in a full sprint. Tenzo had disappeared below the surface, but Kakashi knew he was fine. Instead he ran towards Obito.

The water might have made moving around the battlefield difficult, but it had its advantages. The Zetsu were confined to the sidelines, being torn away if they attempted to venture too close. Kakashi leapt from rock to rock, but Tenzo made it to Obito before he could. Hands appeared from the rock below Obito, grabbing his ankles and pulling him down. Obito was confined in stone up to his neck. There was no way he was sliding through that unless he teleported his whole body, and they were waiting for just that opportunity. That was when they could hit him.

Tenzo stood above him, hands pressed together triumphantly. A small, targeted swirl of space-time appeared, much quicker to use than teleporting something large. Kakashi noticed first.

“Tenzo!” he yelled desperately, at the same time releasing a handful of Shuriken.

They would have hit Obito’s head had a root not blocked their path. On the sidelines, the Zetsu had pooled their chakra.

Tenzo tried to dodge the Kamui, desperately throwing himself off the edge of the pillar; not fast enough. The tiny whirlpool took a chunk out of his upper arm. Tenzo yelled in pain. Blood gushed from the hole where half of his bicep had been, and he landed painfully in the shallow water on the far side of the rocks. He tried to apply pressure but the blood kept coming, dripping down over his fingers. What was worse, the Zetsu could reach him here. Roots shot from the ground, binding him in place. His blood mixed with the water, and he could not move to defend himself as Obito appeared next to him.

Kakashi wasn’t going to make it in time. He was moving too slowly. There was only one choice, and this time he didn’t hesitate. The Chidori crackled to life, aimed straight at Obito. Attention pulled away just in time, Obito raised his Gunbai to block. The Chidori should have torn right through the flimsy material of the fan, but a reflective barrier flickered into existence. It was the perfect shield, and the lightning danced uselessly against it. Kakashi didn’t give up, and the two were pulled into a fast-paced dance.

Obito could sense that Kakashi was deadly serious. Every move was a potential killing blow. No previous fights between them had been like this, and Obito forced himself to switch mindsets when the Chidori scorched through a section of his armour milliseconds before he managed to dematerialize. Through sheer willpower Tenzo had managed to tear himself free. Wood curled around his injury: a makeshift compression bandage. It kept him from bleeding out, but he was hindered greatly.

Kakashi and Tenzo weren’t going to give up, but neither was Obito. They had managed to bury a good number of Zetsu under Mountains’ Graveyard, but not all of them, and there were so many. Obito’s reinforcements were endless. Kakashi and Tenzo were the best, Leaf Shinobi of the highest caliber, but here they were pushed to their absolute limits. Obito’s power was near godlike, and he had an army behind him. They only had so much chakra.

Nursing a puncture wound to his back which had been caused by a teleporting Kunai, Kakashi leaned heavily against a jagged rock formation. The ground here was muddy, caused by the runoff of the river which still rushed endlessly through the clearing. His vision spun, and he knew he had enough chakra for only one more play. It was best to make it count instead of dragging it out. It was difficult not to allow hopelessness to overtake him. For a glorious moment, it seemed like they had gotten away. He’d finally realized what was truly important, and had decided to atone for his sins by living the right way. He’d told Tenzo he loved him, and he’d meant it. For one moment, the future had seemed bright. The end of the tunnel had been in sight. Kakashi had seen a way out of hell.

But it had been an illusion like the Infinite Tsukuyomi, a beautiful dream which had been snatched away from him at the last moment. He wasn’t strong enough, and Obito would take Tenzo back with him. Kakashi hoped Obito would leave him alive. Despite what suffering awaited Kakashi, it was worth it for the possibility of another opportunity to save Tenzo.

Out across the river, the sound of metal on metal reached him. Tenzo and Obito were fighting on the rocks above the rushing water. Gunbai and sword clashed, Tenzo attacking with focused determination. And here Kakashi was, barely conscious with blood dripping down his leg. He needed to get it together. He had one move left in him, one last chance.

He threw Kunai’s trailing explosive tags at a pair of Zetsu attempting to approach. Chunks of white flesh rained down.

Kakashi caught Tenzo’s eye then disappeared. Instantly, Tenzo knew what he was planning. It was desperate play, a last resort, but they’d used it before. It would be the perfect diversion, because there was something Tenzo wanted to try. It was a technique he’d never perfected, a long shot, but all they had left were long shots.

From one of the taller rock spikes Kakashi jumped down to join the fight, aiming a kick at Obito from behind. Over the rushing water where the Zetsu could not reach, it was two on one, aside for the occasional disruptive spike of wood. Kakashi and Tenzo were both close to exhaustion, and they could read it on each other’s faces. This was their last shot and they both knew it.

Obito was sent skidding back across the surface, and Tenzo had a moment to speak. “There’s something I want to try. I just need a second to focus.”

“Way ahead of you,” Kakashi said. “Fall back. I’ll give you your opening.”

Obito didn’t even have a second to catch his breath before Kakashi was upon him. They fought balanced on the shifting water, moving fast enough to stop from sinking below the surface. Even with chakra focused in the bottom of their feet the river was like a fast-moving conveyor belt. Kakashi came at him with an intensity he had not shown since the start of the battle, a final burst of energy. Obito was forced backwards into the mud, struggling to materialize and dematerialize at a speed to keep up with the blows. His Gunbai was too cumbersome for a fight at this close range. Kakashi had forgone weapons altogether and they grappled: arms passing through arms, fists connecting with faces. The combat had deteriorated into a tangled mess of limbs. This was sloppy, reckless, so unlike Kakashi it had caught Obito off guard. But he recovered quickly. He caught Kakashi’s fist, other hand grabbing his throat.

With triumph, Obito realized he’d won. Kakashi was done, too exhausted to keep it up any longer. Then, his Sharingan screamed a warning. This wasn’t Kakashi! When exactly the substitution had been made, he was unsure. He had not been paying attention, not utilizing the full power of his eye. He’d let his guard down, and he would pay the price. The explosive tags covering the body of the shadow clone detonated.

As Obito rematerialized across the clearing, burns smarting, Tenzo was waiting for him. He hadn’t managed to tie his body back to the physical plane before the attacks hit. Tenzo used columns of woods that looked like wild dogs, with glaring eyes and pointed teeth. They did not feel like ordinary wood style, and the curled towards him like they were hungry, like they had minds of their own. Ruins on the wood gave it away; this was Senjutsu. Their teeth tore into him, and Obito realized he did not have the strength to move through them.

The real Kakashi hurried to Tenzo’s side. The other man was surrounded by four pillars, the ends of which struggled to restrain Obito.

“They consume chakra,” Tenzo explained, beads of sweat dripped down his face.

This was similar to a sealing Jutsu Kakashi had seen Tenzo practicing in the past, but he had never seen it used like this before. Gasping, Tenzo fell to is knees, but Obito was still standing. If he managed to gather enough chakra to faze through one of the hounds another was there to catch him in its jaws, but Tenzo wasn’t going to be able to keep this up for much longer. A small Kamui took a chunk out of one of the pillars, and its head crashed to the ground. Now there were only three.

They had to end this now, Kakashi realized. There would be no other chance. He’d just blown half of his depleted chakra to bits in a clone, and the whole world was going fuzzy. He’d had it enough times to recognize the symptoms of Chakra Exhaustion. Somehow, he managed to summon lightning chakra to his palm; a feeble Chidori. He felt out of body, very far away, and maybe that made it easier. Maybe, if he’d had enough chakra left to form a coherent thought Kakashi would not have been able to do what needed to be done.

Somehow, he crossed the distance to Obito. Kakashi’s hand slammed through his heart, and it was only when his fingers broke into open air that the reality hit him. Numbly, Kakashi removed the orange mask, pulling a shaking hand from his former friend’s chest. Blood dripped from Obito’s mouth, and he was smiling. Suddenly, Kakashi felt even further away. He was staring at Obito’s face from the end of a long, dark tunnel, and all he could think was, _why did it have to be the same way?_

_Why did I have to kill him the same way I did Rin? The same hand? I still can’t wash away the blood._

_I destroy everything I love._

_I couldn’t save him._

_I don’t deserve to live… but I promised Tenzo._

Kakashi stumbled, falling to the ground. Obito slumped forward against the wood restraining him, and behind them Tenzo had fallen unconscious. Kakashi reminded himself that white Zetsu still remained, struggling to get back to his feet. This wasn’t over yet. Still, he could not look away from what he’d done.

“I’m sorry, Obito.” The words left Kakashi’s mouth like a sob. “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

The gaping hole Kakashi had left where Obito’s heart should have been did not look right. It didn’t look like a human wound. Beside him, something like a leaf emerged from the earth, a leaf wearing the cloak of the Akatsuki.

“Sorry I’m late,” said Zetsu, and Kakashi wanted to cry, or scream. “I was putting Tobi back together.” Beady yellow eyes found Obito. “Don’t tell me you’re dead.”

“He’s not,” came a shrill voice. “He just needs a bit of chakra.”

White tentacles sprouted from the earth, wrapping around Obito. Slowly, the man raised his head to fix Kakashi with his single red eye. Obito was alive, Tobi encasing his body like a jacket.

 “Don’t feel bad, Kakashi. I don’t have a heart,” Obito said, gesturing at the hole quickly filling with white flesh. “I don’t even feel pain. Don’t feel guilty, because this wound was opened by the hell of this world.”

Kakashi began to back away, eyes wide with fear. They’d done everything they could. This time he hadn’t hesitated, and it still hadn’t been enough. Maybe if he could make it to Tenzo… Zetsu made a hand sign, and spikes of wood severed the hounds still pinning Obito. He shook himself free, mirroring Kakashi’s movements.

“I need to thank you,” he said, hand resting over his non-existent heart. “Since you finally had the balls to kill me I feel a lot more… free. You’ve been a great help, but you’ve served your purpose. I think it’s time I return the favour and give you what you want.”

Kakashi’s heel caught on a rock and he crashed to the ground. Obito stood over him.

“You do want to die, don’t you?” he asked. “I think you’ve earned it.”  

“Not anymore,” Kakashi said, but no amount of determination could replace chakra. The world spun, and he knew he could not defend himself.

Obito drew a Kunai, tightening his fist around it. Their eyes met, and Kakashi saw doubt there. Obito’s Sharingan had deactivated. Still he moved forward, and Kakashi raised an arm in a feeble attempt to block the coming strike. 

Something flew into the clearing: a blur of green so fast Kakashi couldn’t make out what it was. It collided with Obito, the air heavy with sweat and chakra. Kakashi pulled open the lid of his exhausted Sharingan, and realized that it was Guy. At first he didn’t believe it, thought it was some trick of Obito’s. But Guy was here, and he hadn’t come alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it as finally happened. I am not done writing chapter 14 at the time of posting this. I'm so close to the end I can taste it, but I keep getting distracted by one-shot ideas. 
> 
> As a little teaser, I'm going to share the next two chapter titles. Usually, I'm not confident about them before I write, but with these two I am... I think.  
> 14: Disappointing the Dead  
> 15/epilogue: Flowers


	14. Disappointing the Dead

Guy’s attack had taken Obito off guard, but he recovered quickly, spiralling away like a coward. Shaking himself, Kakashi snapped into action.

“Tenzo!” he yelled, twisting towards where the other man still lay unconscious. He stirred at Kakashi’s voice, but when Kakashi tried to run to him his legs gave out. “Guy! Tenzo’s the one he’s after. It’s the wood style… We need to—”

“On it.” There was no longwinded greeting from the green-clad ninja. When it came down to it, Guy was as reliable as they came.

He rushed to Tenzo’s side, just in time because Obito reappeared right where Kakashi knew he would. Guy slung Tenzo’s arm over his shoulder. Cloaked in the telltale green vapor of an early inner gate, he turned to face Obito with a beckoning palm. Kakashi had been so focused on them he had forgotten all about Zetsu. He barely rolled out of the way as a spear of wood shot from the plant man’s arm. Kakashi fumbled for a Kunai, managing to crouch as the Akatsuki approached. Two of his white brothers appeared on his other side.

Suddenly, three figures flickered into existence, standing around Kakashi in a triangle formation. This was a four-man squad from the Leaf. They were saved! Guy had been joined by Asuma, Kurenai, and Anko.

“I can’t believe that’s him,” said Kurenai, staring at Obito. “I can’t believe he could betray the village, or hurt you.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t believe you,” said Asuma.

Across the clearing, one of Anko’s snakes struck at Obito from behind, going right through him and joining Guy in their standoff.

 “What are you doing here?” Kakashi asked, in stunned gratitude.

“It’s a long story,” said Asuma, “involving a scroll, a broken telephone message, a giant hawk, and your ninken.”

Kurenai helped him stand, letting him lean on her. “To shorten it,” she said, “the village knows you’re in trouble, and we wanted to be the ones sent to find you.”

“And we weren’t the only ones,” Anko chimed in with a devilish smile. “Our backup should just be arriving.”

As if she’d summoned them, a four-man squad of ANBU appeared next to Guy. Kakashi recognized all of them. They were all Team Ro; he’d been their commanding officer. The squad was composed of Lioness, Fox, Owl, and Hawk. Or by their other names: Yugao, Itachi, Aya, and Ki. With eight ninja of this caliber on their side, they might stand a chance, even against Obito’s seemingly endless army of plant soldiers. Kakashi let himself feel real hope, a dangerous flicker in his stomach.

The tense moment ended when Obito’s Kamui flared to life, aimed at Guy and Tenzo.

“No!” With Kakashi’s scream, everyone flew into action at once.

Fast as ever, Guy managed to dodge, carrying Tenzo out of harm’s way. Anko’s snake and Itachi came at Obito from opposite sides. Wind chakra coated Asuma’s chakra blades, and he lunged at Zetsu. Striking Shadow Snakes shot from one of Anko’s arms, going for the necks of five white Zetsu at once. Obito teleported away again, leaving the others to fight Zetsu as well.

“You can hit him when he’s about to teleport to or throw something from his time-space.” Kakashi said. Those close to him heard, but his voice did not reach everyone.

As if reading his mind, Kurenai made a sign and Genjutsu flower peddles swirled around them. Seconds later they had teleported to stand beside Yugao.

“Senpai,” the purple-haired ANBU greeted him. “It’s nice to see you breathing.”

Kakashi reported his discovery about Obito’s Jutsu to those fighting here. Looking around for Tenzo, he noticed that Guy had carried him towards the edge of the forest, Ki at his side. This was good. Ki was a medical ninja. Tenzo had lost a lot of blood from his arm; it was a miracle he’d been able to keep fighting.

“We should get him to take a look at you, as well,” said Kurenai, skillfully dodging a Zetsu, though she still supported Kakashi’s weight.

Kakashi wanted to argue, but knew he was no use in this state. However, that thought would have to wait, because Obito reappeared. At some point, he’d reclaimed the orange mask, and Tobi appeared beside him as a separate entity. Itachi was the closest to him, sword in hand. The surrounding Zetsu smoldered to ash under a powerful fire style Jutsu. Uncharacteristically, Itachi hesitated. His expression could not be read under his fox mask, but he was staring at Obito, frozen.

“It’s you,” he finally said, pointing the sword at Obito’s chest. “I’ve been watching you.”

“And I you,” said Obito. “You’re the only interesting things to come out of our disgrace of a clan in generations.”

How did Itachi know him? Kakashi’s mind was spinning. Sure they were from the same clan, but Itachi would have been very young when Obito had died, and their words indicated something more recent. Kakashi wanted to warn the young Uchiha, wanted to stop Obito from hurting another one of his friends. The pair made no moves to attack each other, just staring. However, they were fighting, locked in a Genjutsu battle invisible to everyone else. Using the opportunity, Yugao slashed at Obito from behind. But her sword passed right through him, and again when she aimed for the head.

Tightening an arm around his waist, Kurenai pulled Kakashi towards where Guy and Ki knelt over Tenzo. She deposited Kakashi beside them without a word, disappearing in a swirl of peddles. Ki had removed his hawk mask so it sat on the side of his head. Green chakra pooled around his hands where they rested on Tenzo’s wound. Tenzo was awake, and he smiled up at Kakashi.

“Guy told me how they found us,” Tenzo said. “Your ninken saved our lives. They knew they couldn’t get away so they negotiated for one of the giant hawks to take the scroll and a message; solidarity between summoning animals or something like that. I’m sorry to hear what happened to them.”

Kakashi chewed his lip under his mask. He had not spoken to the other dogs about what happened. The guilt was eating him up inside. Instinctively, he took Tenzo’s hand. Ki had removed Tenzo’s cloak, and Kakashi noticed how his eyes flickered over the myriad of other injuries. 

“What happened to you?” Ki breathed, moving to work on Tenzo’s chest.

The horror in Ki’s voice was barely concealed. While Kakashi knew he was respected, he was a distant figure to those under his command. Tenzo, however, was loved by almost everyone: funny, and warm, and always willing to do more than his share of the work. Ki’s reaction brought more guilt bubbling to the surface, but Tenzo squeezed Kakashi’s hand, his message getting across without words. Kakashi took a steadying breath.

“It’s a long story,” he said, “mostly my fault.” His eyes flickered to Guy. “I’m grateful to all of you. If you hadn’t shown up when you did…”

The battle was a fast-paced, scattered mess. Owl was primarily a water style user, and she’d diverted the course of Tenzo’s river, using it as a weapon, constantly reshaping the terrain. Asuma and Kurenai fought the main Zetsu. They stood back to back, Asuma with his chakra blades and Kurenai with a Kunai in her hand. The pair fought in perfect sync. Anko had summoned a larger snake, and perched on its head, raining weapons down upon the enemies below. Though he watched it all with clenched fists, Guy did not jump in to join the action. He guarded Kakashi and Tenzo, knowing that Obito’s current position was not a fixed variable.

At the moment however, Obito was occupied. Crows flew at him from all sides, Genjutsu indistinguishable from those actually summoned by Itachi. Obito used his Kamui to swallow them up, but then when he dematerialized his shoulder to avoid Yugao’s sword, they attacked him from within his time-space. His shoulder came back to this world torn and bloody. Two nearby Zetsu made a wooden shield, and Obito attempted to teleport away. Crows erupted from his face, tearing at him as they flew back into this reality. Breaking the wooden barrier with a well-placed kick, Yugao lunged at Obito with her sword. Halfway through his botched teleportation Obito attempted to dodge, and the sword struck his leg instead. The blade pierced through his thigh.

Obito let Yugao fall through him, right onto a set of spikes erected by the Zetsu. They were both bleeding, Yugao letting out a whimper of pain. Breaking through the rest of the wood barrier with a fire style Jutsu, Itachi blocked Obito’s descending Gunbai before it could hit the fallen girl. Anko’s snake came out of nowhere, catching a Zetsu in its mouth as it lowered its head. Leaping off, Anko lifted Yugao in her arms, bringing the injured ANBU with her back onto the head of the snake. 

Kurenai and Asuma were surrounded by a ring of Zetsu. Tangles of half-formed trees provided the perfect opportunity for Kurenai to conceal herself with Genjutsu. She struck out at random intervals, picking off one Zetsu at a time before concealing herself again. There were so many it barely made a difference.

“Kurenai!” Asuma’s voice cut through the din of battle.

It was a warning, and Kurenai teleported back to his side. Throwing a cloud of Shuriken, she kept them at bay while Asuma made hand signs. Spinning in a circle, Asuma sprayed a thick cloud of ash out over the Zetsu throng. He ignited it, and close to a hundred went up in flame at once. Trapped in the center of their own fire, Asuma wrapped a protective arm around Kurenai. It did little to shelter her from the heat. A jet of water from the owl masked ANBU gave them the opening they needed to escape.

Back near the fringe of the forest, Ki had moved on to healing Kakashi.

“You’re giving me too much chakra,” Kakashi said, as a bead of sweat dripped off the hawk ANBU’s brow.

“You’ll be more useful in this battle than me,” he replied, simply.

Suddenly, Tenzo released a panicked yell, leaping to his feet. From the ground where he’d been sitting just moments ago Tobi emerged.

“Hello again!” he greeted, mockingly.

Guy acted quickly. With a kick too fast to dodge, he collided with the creature. His foot hit with so much force the shock wave ruffled Kakashi’s hair. They both went flying. Tobi hit the ground a good distance away and turned to mush, quickly reforming as Guy skidded to a stop beside him.

“You pack a punch, eyebrows,” chirped Tobi. “Good fashion sense too, I respect that. Tell you what, I’ll spare your life, and Kakashi’s too, if you give me Tenzo. He’s all I care about.”

“On the contrary foul creature,” said Guy, “it should be you that is asking me for mercy. Sadly, I cannot spare anyone who would wish harm on my friends. Tenzo is my friend, and I will come at you with all the fires of youth!”

Tobi hardened his arm to wood, but Guy punched right through it.

“I feel as good as new,” said Tenzo. Guy’s words had moved him more than he’d expected, though even looking at Tobi triggered an automatic fear response. “I’m going to help.”

Kakashi’s hand closed around his wrist. His face was still pale from blood loss and exhaustion, the reflection of Ki’s chakra giving it a slightly green tint. Kakashi didn’t say a word, but Tenzo understood. His eyes flickered back to Guy, torn. There was a plea in Kakashi’s gaze, and Tenzo relented, sitting back down beside him. To be fair, it did not seem like Guy needed the help. He’d caught Tobi in a Lotus, the pair high above the ground, spiralling downwards. When they hit, there was nothing left of Tobi but a pool of white in a crater. For a moment, it seemed like they’d won, but then Tobi began to reform like nothing had happened

“You’re a resilient one,” Guy exclaimed, “what a fantastic challenge. But you will not walk out of this intact.”

“I hope he doesn’t open any other gates,” said Kakashi, and Tenzo nodded in agreement.

Spikes of woods erupted from the ground around Guy, and he flipped and dodged as more Zetsu joined Tobi. They had been so absorbed watching Guy none of the three had glanced over to the main fight in some time. None among them had noticed that Obito had disappeared. He materialized on top of them, Kunai in hand. Ki grappled with him, putting his body between Obito and Kakashi. The blade went through his neck.

“No!” Kakashi screamed.

He tried to grab Obito at the same time that Tenzo tried to restrain him with wood. Their attacks hit air. Obito stepped through them, flinging Ki’s body to the side like garbage. Blood dripped from the ANBU’s mouth, green eyes wide and glassy. Kakashi felt the burn of the Mongekyo as it activated involuntarily.

Obito activated his Kamui. Momentarily solid, Tenzo’s wood style pierced his stomach and Kakashi’s Kunai went through his shoulder. Still, space-time spiralled, Obito’s attack growing in size. Kakashi realized he could see it, the truth of Obito’s Kamui, the pattern. He could see into the other world. If he didn’t do something they’d be ripped to shreds. Or worse, Tenzo would be carried away.

Tenzo watched as Kakashi staggered forward, body distorted by the Kamui. Then, something changed. There was a second spiral, intermingling with the first, changing it. Kakashi was synchronizing his eye with Obito’s. The lines of the Kamui blurred as it collapsed in on itself. Kakashi grabbed the front of Obito’s shirt, then they were both gone. Tenzo was left staring at the empty space in front of him.

“Kakashi!”

Raw panic gripped Tenzo. He reached for the air where they had been just moments before, desperate, like Kakashi would still be there. His fingers touched nothing. Involuntarily, wood exploded from the ground around him. These were twisted things, like half-dead trees, reminiscing of something the Zetsu would make instead of Tenzo’s ordinarily organized style. He lashed out at an enemy he could not reach.

“No, Kakashi. Please…” he begged.

It wasn’t like the other man could hear him. Tenzo sunk to his knees. The rotten wooden spikes grew and twisted, slamming into the ground where Obito had been.

“Get a hold of yourself, Cat,” said Itachi, who was standing beside him, though Tenzo did not know how he’d gotten there. A gloved hand settled on his shoulder. “Use that chakra for something productive.”

Tenzo’s hands were shaking. Itachi didn’t understand. He didn’t understand how much danger Kakashi was in. Though it was hard to believe there was anything the genius didn’t understand. Itachi was right, Tenzo knew this, but he couldn’t calm down. How could the Uchiha be so detached, so pragmatic? His eyes were so much like Obito’s, his voice cold.

Guy dropped from above, landing beside them in a crouch. “What happened?” he asked, “where are they?”

Hiding his face behind his hands, Tenzo tried to don an emotionless mask. He wished right now that he had his porcelain one, like Itachi. They were in the middle of a battle. He was ex-ROOT, a Shinobi of Konoha. He wasn’t going to give in to emotion. Guy had moved to Ki’s side. Gently, he knelt, closing the ANBU’s eyes.

“They’re in this place inside Obito’s Jutsu,” Tenzo finally managed. “I don’t fully understand it, but I know there’s no way in or out except for Obito. Kakashi is trapped there with him.” His voice cracked a little.

Itachi extended a silent hand, and Tenzo accepted it, rising to his feet. Guy placed a comforting hand on his other shoulder.

“That is troubling,” he said, worry creeping into his voice. “But there appears to be nothing we can do but win this battle. Obito can not stay within his Jutsu forever. And he’s still after you, right? He will reappear and when he does we will find him… and crush him.”

Tenzo nodded. “Agreed.”

~

The battle had been loud: yells, explosions, and a flurry of activity. This was only so strikingly noticeable because of the quiet of the mind-space. Neither Kakashi nor Obito was on their feet. Blood dripped from Obito’s leg, his shoulder torn to shreds by Itachi’s crows. Using the Kamui had robbed Kakashi of the chakra Ki had returned to him. Still, he stood up, legs shaking a little. He offered a hand to Obito.

The other man snarled, lunging at Kakashi, who dodged easily. Obito was limping badly, and he teleported so there was some distance between them.

“Take the mask off,” Kakashi pleaded. “If this really is the end I don’t want to fight Tobi or Madara. I want to see Obito Uchiha standing in front of me.”

“I hope the irony of that request isn’t lost on you,” Obito said, “I don’t want to be Obito Uchiha. I don’t want to be anyone. I’m not a person anymore, Kakashi. I’m a god. Let whatever vision of me you have go.”

“I’ve never been very good at letting go,” said Kakashi, “you can’t expect me not to mourn you. Even if now all I can give you is death, I can’t forget what you were. That boy who wanted to be the Hokage, who wanted to be a hero.”

“I’ve told you,” Obito said, “I was young and naïve. That kind of innocence cannot survive in this world. Eventually, everyone will end up just like me. If this world doesn’t kill you it will break your heart.” He placed his palm against his chest, where Kakashi’s Chidori had torn through it not so long ago. “But, if you care that much, it makes no difference to me.”

Obito removed the mask, letting it drop to the ground. He was uncharacteristically calm, a slight smile on his lips.

“I owe you a small favour, at least,” he said. “It actually helped me when you stabbed me through the heart. I was hoping you would, actually.”

Kakashi was motionless, bracing for an attack. He knew he was screwed. Even if he won, there was no getting out of this place.

“Why?” His voice was hoarse.

“Madara put a curse seal on my heart,” Obito explained. “He did it when he saved my life, but I only found out about it quite recently. I didn’t like the idea of that bastard controlling me from beyond the grave.” 

“What?” Kakashi gaped. “A… a seal? Obito, you mean, this whole time he was controlling you? You weren’t you?”

He laughed without humour. “I wondered for a moment if it would change my mind… and yes Kakashi, I do feel guilty. But everything I have done and continue to do is a means to an end. I still see this world as the awful place it is, and my goals haven’t changed. Now though, when I feel anger and hatred, I know it’s my own! Madara’s and my goals may currently align, but I don’t trust him. I’m going to save the world, so I need to hold the power. When Madara is inevitably brought back to life I won’t let his personal agenda get in the way.”

“You’ve had the seal for years,” Kakashi attempted, hating himself for the hope he was feeling. “You haven’t had time to think since I… Please Obito. Now that you’re free, take a real look at yourself. You are Obito Uchiha. You were my and Rin’s teammate, and a member of the famous Uchiha clan. You wanted to be Hokage some day. You were someone, and Madara stole that identity from you.”

“Don’t say her name!” Obito snarled, his calm broken.

Though they were alone on the infinite plane, Kakashi felt the unmistakable prickle of being watched. Hairs on his neck stood on end, and his training screamed that there was someone here. But it couldn’t be… it was only he and Obito in his place.

“You couldn’t protect her,” Obito accused. “Though at least that’s burning you up from the inside. I know you feel how I feel. I can see it in your eyes. That’s why I let you in. In the Infinite Tsukuyomi we can all be together again without fear. I know you want that. Though there are other you care about, right? People you have left to protect? That’s what makes us different. Do you really think you and Tenzo will have some happily ever after? You know better than that. In the real world it will end in blood and tears, it’s inevitable. If I succeed everyone will be happy: you and Tenzo, Guy, Kurenai, everyone!”

“You keep saying that I can’t see you for what you are now,” said Kakashi, softly, “but you’re wrong. I do understand you, Obito. Our Mongekyo activated on the same night. For years, I was sure this world was not worth living in. I chose to die and take a gamble on what was on the other side rather than face it anymore. Madara’s perfect dream world is no different. At first, I followed your plan so easily because I wanted to die, and it was just like the afterlife with more certainty. I see now that you’re suicidal too, and I want to help pull you from that darkness, I really do. Even after everything you’ve done… Tenzo told me it was the brave thing to do, to live. This world is awful and full of pain, but also full of beauty. Abandoning it is cowardly; destroying it, or yourself, instead of trying to fix it… that is weak.”

“It’s pointless!” Obito yelled. “It’s hopeless. That path to peace is endless, and I’m tired of stepping over the bodies of my comrades. So you love that boy, and that makes you want to live. Don’t pretend it’s bravery. Love is a liar, it hides the truth of the world. When Rin died I lost everything. There is no light left in this world for me. Keep on this phantom path to peace and soon you’ll be stepping over Tenzo’s body. Why not take the easy route?”

“Would that make Rin proud?” Kakashi asked.

He felt it even stronger then, the feeling of eyes on them. Suddenly Kakashi remembered something that she’d used to say to Obito. When he was young it had seemed like she was coddling him, but Kakashi knew now she was being a good friend.

“Didn’t she say she would always be watching you?” Kakashi spoke numbly, as the implication of his own words hit him. “Do you think she likes what she sees?”

There was no indignant scream, no philosophical argument, no attack. For a moment Obito was silent, just staring.

“It feels almost like she’s here now…” Kakashi said, “though I suppose I’m not a paragon of mental health. If she was, I’d want to tell her I forgive her.” He faced away from Obito, speaking to the nothingness.  “Rin, I understand the choice you made that night. I would have done the same. The dark pit I fell into, the self-hatred, it wasn’t your fault. If you’ve been watching, blaming yourself, don’t. There were other events that set me on that path, and if you had lived I’m not sure it would have made a difference. I had Tenzo, and Guy and the others, and they couldn’t get through to me. And Rin… he’s not your fault either.”

Chills ran up the length of Kakashi’s body, goose flesh visible on his arms. Maybe he’d finally lost what little was left of his sanity, but he was sure she’d heard him. It felt like she was here with them. He could almost see her face.

“Can you feel that?” he asked Obito.

It was a genuine question. Kakashi was unsure if this feeling was simply his psychosis. The stricken look on Obito’s face answered his question.

“Rin is gone,” he whispered, voice quivering. “I held her body in my arms.”

“She’s only truly gone if we let her go,” said Kakashi, “I realized that almost too late. If we hold her in our hearts, if we act as she would, if we try to bring the same goodness and joy into this world that she did, then she’s not really gone, is she? We could have kept living for her, but instead all we’ve been doing is disappointing the dead.”

Obito was crying silently, just a few tears running down his cheeks. He stared at nothing, seeing what Kakashi was, the phantom of the girl who had been their third team member.

“What would Rin want you to do?” Kakashi asked. “Give up this path, Obito. Come back to the village with me and live as she would have.”

Angrily, Obito wiped away the tears with his sleeve. “Maybe she is watching over us,” he rasped, “and god Kakashi that almost got me. For a moment there I thought you’d won. But the idea of her watching, that’s not enough. I need her here beside me. With her on the other side this world is still a pitch-black hell. Rin was too pure and kind to see the truth, and maybe she wouldn’t understand. But the versions of her, and of you that I create within the perfect dream, they will.”

“Were we nothing more to you than something that can be replaced with puppets?” Kakashi asked.

Obito made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob. He was coming apart, clutching at his head, digging nails into his own face.

“I’m sorry Rin,” he said, “It’s too late to turn back now.”

Then, he disappeared, breaking Kakashi’s heart again. Because the truth was, for Obito it had never been about Rin, or about saving the world. The Infinite Tsukuyomi, at its core, was a terribly selfish thing. To want to replace your loved ones with perfect copies, to scrub away their imperfections, is proof that you never loved them at all. That’s not what love is.

~

Obito had not returned to the battlefield. Tenzo had done what Guy had said, had thrown himself back into the fight. Along with his comrades he tore through the clones, creatures that were not completely unlike his brothers. When he looked at Tobi fear still gripped him, but he faced it, knowing that when the monster was crushed to dust it would be unable to hurt anyone anymore.

And it seemed like they were winning.

Tenzo and Aya had worked together to carve out a massive pit in the earth and fill it with a whirlpool. They all forced the plant soldiers towards it, being efficient in the number they took out at a time. Great areas of the ground had been scorched, the forest a casualty of Itachi’s and Asuma’s Jutsu. Guy streaked back and forth across everyone’s vision, a blur of light and intensity.

Tenzo perched above the battle on a column of wood, fighting with his wood style from a safe distance. Tobi rose to meet him, balanced upon a gnarled column of his own. Though Tenzo’s heart beat louder in his chest, he faced the sinister swirled face head on. He leapt straight at him, hardening his hands into wooden spikes. Tobi had been taken by surprise, and Tenzo speared him twice through the chest. They flew off the column, hurtling towards the ground. Tenzo landed in a crouch, denting the ground. His spikes dug into the dirt, pinning Tobi in place. Half liquefied, the clone reached for Tenzo, a tentacle wrapping around his arm.

Not this time. Tenzo detached the spikes, jumping back. Roots erupted from the ground, trapping Tobi within them, holding him meters in the air. He was immobilized, but despite the chakra Tenzo was pumping into the bindings it would not be long before Tobi managed to merge through them.

“Now!” he yelled at Itachi, who was fighting nearby.

Seconds later a plume of fire consumed the tangle of roots. Itachi nodded at him, seal still held near the lips of his mask. Tenzo knew Itachi could read the gratitude in his eyes. Tobi screamed, quickly reduced to nothing but a pile of ash, and Tenzo felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Black Zetsu fought in the middle of it all, watching in horror at what was happening around him. Near half of his brothers were gone, half of a great army meant to fight a great war. Most had been crushed below the falling mountain, but this battle had not been kind on their ranks either. Ten people…. How could ten people have done this much damage? And to make things worse, Obito was nowhere to be found. He needed to make the call if anything were to still be salvaged. Zetsu called for retreat.

They disappeared into the ground as quickly as they’d come, and the bedraggled Leaf Ninja were left surrounded by white corpses. An injured Yugao and Ki’s body had been stashed within one of Tenzo’s wooden structures. Itachi and Aya rushed to their teammates. Neither were big on showing emotion, and all that needed to be said was said through their eyes. Aya picked up Ki’s body wordlessly, and Itachi slung Yugao’s arm over his shoulder.

“The captain?” she asked.

Neither answered.

“Cat?” she tried.

“He’s outside,” Itachi said.

Tenzo was coated with the gore and dirt of battle, and currently he was at Asuma’s throat. He seemed oblivious to the approach of his teammates.

“We can’t!” he hissed, grabbing Asuma by the front of his vest, but quickly released him. “We can’t go back to the village yet! We need to find Kakashi.”

“We’re injured, we’re tired, and we don’t even know where to start,” Asuma said, keeping his voice as soft as he could. “Look at Lioness. She needs medical attention as soon as possible.”  

Tenzo looked over toward Yugao. “Then take her to Konoha, but I’m not giving up. Anyone who can still fight should stay with me. We can’t abandon him!”

The panic in his voice was mounting. He looked desperate and close to passing out. Despite the determination he exuded, Tenzo looked very small.

“Tenzo…” Kurenai reached towards him, but he swatted away her hand.

He spun on Guy. “You’re not just going to give up, right?”

“I agree that the thought of leaving without my eternal rival is not a pleasant one. I will help search for Kakashi. Giving up isn’t in my vocabulary. However, I think he would want us to get you out of harm's way. It was you they were after, correct?”

“I’m not leaving him,” Tenzo choked. “We were going to get out of there together. He promised. I… I can’t…”

“Obito could have taken him literally anywhere on earth as fast as a blink, if I understand his power correctly,” said Asuma. “Pull yourself together. This will do him no good.”

“I don’t know what happened to you two,” Anko added, “but you don’t look so good. We’ll have more of a chance of finding him with reinforcements. Who knows when those plant fuckers will reappear.”

“No! I’m not leaving here without him.”

They exchanged looks, not sure what to do. Tenzo seemed near tears, or unconsciousness, or both.

“Look.” Itachi’s voice drew their attention.

A Kamui spiral had appeared not far from the group. It grew in size, and everyone braced themselves for Obito’s reappearance. Instead, Kakashi stumbled out.

“Kakashi!” Guy’s voice rang out.

Everyone else was frozen in shock.

“How did you?” Asuma stammered. “Obito…?”

“I’m not sure,” Kakashi admitted. “I didn’t think I could do that. But I just had to…”

He trailed off as his eyes searched for one face in particular. Tenzo stood near the back, a tearful sheen in his eyes. They met each other halfway, grabbing at clothes and faces.

“You came back,” Tenzo said, voice heavy.

“I promised you, didn’t I?” Kakashi asked, then he pulled down his mask and kissed him.

No one interfered. They watched with smiles on their lips.

“Let’s go home,” said Kakashi, pulling away with reluctance, “together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit longer than usual. :/ I actually already have a good chunk of chapter 15 written because I was writing some of that procrastinating on this. It should be a bit shorter than the average chapter (though everything always ends up longer than it seems.) No more tricks, no more sarcasm, the next chapter really is fluff!
> 
> I'm home for a week (for the first time in forever) so I should have a bit more time to write. It should be up soon! Thank you for everyone who has been reading up to this point, and all the new readers as well. Much love <3<3 Can you believe I originally thought this wasn't going to be more than 40k??


	15. Flowers

Ino Yamanaka would recognize Kakashi anywhere. She was still an academy student, bright eyed and bushy tailed, and blissfully unaware of who was a Jonin or ANBU or anything of the like. However, the silver haired man had been coming into the flower shop for as long as she could remember. He never chatted, no matter how her mother tried to engage him, always awkward and stiff with averted eyes. He always bought the same thing: cut lilies.

“Does he buy them for his girlfriend?” she’d once asked her mother, being old enough to begin thinking of such things.

Her mother had smiled sadly, eyes following Kakashi’s slumped posture as he left the store. “I don’t think so,” she’d said, gently ruffling Ino’s hair.

Ino was not too young to understand death, not in a place like Konoha, but she was one of the lucky ones, her parents attempting to shelter her from it as long as possible. Still, she was intuitive enough to see that he was sad. She never understood how he could be, surrounded by flowers in the shop she saw as the most lovely place on earth.

It was a beautiful day, the sun high in the cloudless sky, when Kakashi pushed through the door. Ino had not seen him in some time. The little bell chimed and her mother waved from behind the counter. He waved back, and though his mouth was hidden his eye crinkled in a way that looked very much like a smile. Today, he bought roses. This unthinkable deviation from tradition captured Ino’s full attention.

“You look well,” her mother commented, as she wrapped the small bouquet.

He’d bought one of every colour: red, pink, white, purple.

“Well, it’s a lovely day,” he replied, honestly cheerful.

And it was a lovely day, an early Saturday morning where nothing was expected of him. He was alive, and so was Tenzo, and the village was peaceful.

“Did you get sick of lilies?” asked the little blonde girl perched on a high stool.

“Ino!” her mother scolded, swatting her on the back of the head.

“Oh? These are for someone different,” he answered, unbothered.

For a moment he felt guilty, not having brought flowers to the cemetery in quite some time. But he’d given more than enough to Obito, and something told him that Rin would understand. If she was watching, he thought that she would probably be happy. Or maybe not... but it was the most he could do to live as well as he was able. She would want him to be happy, and he had done all he could for Obito.

“Maybe you can get through to him,” he whispered, as he stepped back out into the sun.

In that moment when he had felt her there with them, he had realized how long he had been forcing her to watch him make mistake after mistake. And maybe it was just a delusion, but the last time he’d spoken to a dead teammate they had answered.

Childish laughter hung in the air. A blond boy jumped from roof to roof, chased by angry adults. Naruto was growing up. His mess of hair was so like Minato’s, but the tongue he stuck out at his pursuers was all Kushina. In that moment, Kakashi felt deeply at home. Konoha was where he belonged, and he was unsure how he’d forgotten that.

Kakashi bought pastries from the little shop on the edge of the Uchiha district, and a couple of cups of coffee. When he returned to his apartment, Tenzo was still asleep. The blanket had been kicked off onto the floor, and he hugged a pillow to his chest with a vice like grip. He was an unconscious hugger. Kakashi had found that out the hard way. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, making patterns on his skin. He looked so peaceful. It was already late morning, but Tenzo needed the rest. The dark circles under his eyes were just beginning to fade, along with the other marks of his ordeal. Setting the flowers on his table along with the breakfast, Kakashi settled on the edge of the bed.

This was the third night in a row Tenzo had slept here. It was better for both their peace of mind. They’d spent one night together right after they had left the hospital, but then Tenzo had returned to his own apartment, as was expected. Not many nights later, Kakashi had been drawn to Tenzo’s window by his own anxiety. Tenzo had not been in his bed, and for one terrifying moment Kakashi had thought he was gone. But Tenzo had been in the room, sitting against the wall, half asleep with a Kunai clutched in his hand. Of course, he was terrified. Obito could appear anywhere at any time and spirit him away in an instant. So now they slept together, curled around each other so it would be impossible to take one without the other. Tenzo had admitted to him that he’d longed to be put back on active duty, just so he wouldn’t have to be separated from Kakashi, and he’d felt much the same way.

Things were too good. It was almost suspicious. Obito had not resurfaced, fading away like a forgotten nightmare. And now, when Kakashi woke shaking in the night, he could bury his face in Tenzo’s chest and everything was alright. The other man’s heartbeat was the most calming sound in the world. 

Kakashi’s fingers ghosted over Tenzo’s hair. He didn’t wish to wake him but couldn’t help himself. It was almost like he had to make sure he was real. The chestnut strands were soft, and his skin was warm in the sunbeams. Not thinking, Kakashi wrapped his arms around him, pressing his forehead into Tenzo’s neck.

“Good morning.” Tenzo’s voice was soft, heavy with sleep.

“It is,” Kakashi agreed, “the best kind of morning.”

He pressed a kiss to Tenzo’s shoulder through his mask. Tenzo laughed, pulling it down and kissing him gently on the lips. 

“Your mole is adorable,” he muttered, poking it playfully.

“Adorable isn’t really what I’m going for,” Kakashi shot back. “I’d prefer dangerous… or dangerously handsome…”

Tenzo snorted, rolling his eyes. It was nowhere near as easy to impress his Kohai as it had once been.

“I brought breakfast,” Kakashi said, reluctant to untangle his limbs from Tenzo.

But the younger man jumped to his feet excitedly. “Uchiha pastries?”

“Of course. And strong coffee.” Scooping up the roses, he presented them awkwardly to Tenzo. “And these… I got them for you.”

“That’s not breakfast,” Tenzo said, but he was smiling. A blush began to creep across his face as he took them. “This is so dumb Senpai, cheesy and dumb.”

Kakashi shrugged. “Mah… I don’t know…”

Tenzo smelled the roses, cheeks still tinged pink. “You’re adorable and dumb, and that’s why I love you so much. I love them, they’re beautiful.”

Now it was Kakashi who was blushing. He had given flowers more times than he could count, but leaving them on a grave wasn’t the same as this. You didn’t get to see the recipient’s reaction. The sparkle in Tenzo’s eyes and the slight blush made Kakashi realize how much the world of the living had to offer.

They talked as they ate, slowly and lazily as if they had not a care in the world. And maybe, for that glorious moment, they didn’t.

“I think it’s really going to make a difference,” Tenzo said, steering the conversation in a more serious direction, “finding out what really happened the night of the Nine-Tails attack. I know it’s not the best thought, but I feel like it’s really doing the village good to have a common enemy. From what I’ve gathered from Itachi, the Uchiha and the Hokage’s office haven’t communicated this well in years.”

Kakashi nodded. He’d noticed the same thing. “I agree, but things like that don’t just heal overnight.”

“Nothing does.”

“Still…” said Kakashi. “I never found out even half of what he was planning: his involvement in Kiri, why Itachi kept seeing him in Konoha—”

Tenzo cut him off, gripping his hand across the table. “Don’t think about it. I’m sorry I brought this up.”

Rubbing his thumb over Tenzo’s fingers, Kakashi tried to sound nonchalant. “Don’t be. The information we did get is a silver lining, makes me feel better about that mess I lead us into.” He paused. “I know you won’t believe this, and I know you’re probably right. I know it would be stupid to let down our guard, but I think Obito almost changed his mind. I think he’s reconsidering, maybe not enough to turn to the light, but enough that he’s struggling. I think he’s off, and that means he’ll make a mistake.”

“We can hope. Maybe he’ll just give up and fade away, get a little farm in the country or somewhere.”

Tenzo’s voice was dripped with sarcasm, but Kakashi shrugged. That didn’t sound like a terrible outcome, as long as Obito was far far away from Tenzo.

Tomorrow their leave came to an end. It was back to ANBU and all the darkness that came with it, but at least they would face it together. He and Tenzo both agreed, while the peace was welcome, they were starting to go stir-crazy. The events of the past few weeks had only made it more clear that the Shinobi World was currently an unstable place and Kakashi was more motivated than ever to keep his home safe.

Making use of their last day of vacation, they went out to a park near the river with Kakashi’s ninken. There had been no time to go back for Akino and Bisuke’s bodies, but they’d held a funeral all the same. The news had hit the pack hard, and there had been many threats to tear out Obito’s throat. Now however, under the warmth of the summer sun, the mood was good. The dogs liked Tenzo; they always had. They piled on top of him, licking his face. Tenzo feigned annoyance, but his complaints were interspersed with laughter. Kakashi was glad they had someone else to bother. He was enjoying laying in the grass, watching the clouds. Once they settled down a little, the ninken began to explain to Tenzo the politics of the world of summoning animals, and how it had come to pass that a giant hawk had saved their lives.

Kakashi’s personal understanding of these things was skin-deep at best. He knew that the ninken kept to themselves for the most part, and that their society was much less separate from humans than most other possible summoning contracts. In fact, Kakashi had raised most of his dogs since they were puppies. Ninken had no definite enemies, no old stories of war with other species. Their relationships with the Ninja Cats was more like a longstanding rivalry. Though they liked to keep to themselves, they were respected by many other animal societies, including the great toads, and—thankfully—the hawks. 

Never having been particularly interested in such things, Kakashi was only half listening. It was enough to watch Tenzo out of the corner of his eye: the easy smile on his face, the light sound of his voice. The clouds were burning off, now just thin wisps, and Kakashi was starting to have trouble finding pictures there. Tenzo was very intent on what Pakkun was saying, nodding along with the wizened dog. 

“...and no one likes the snakes, of course,” Pakkun lectured. “Those slithery bastards burned every possible bridge. Never trust a snake, Tenzo, mark my words.”

Absentmindedly, Kakashi picked at the grass. Idle hands made their way to a nearby patch of wildflowers. They were only weeds, but the white blooms were pretty. Picking one, he sat up, brushing some of Tenzo’s hair aside and placing it behind his ear. The other man raised an eyebrow, but he was smiling.

Kakashi shrugged. “It suits you.”

“Not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment.”

Kakashi shrugged again, stifling a laugh.

“Look.” Tenzo pointed behind him towards the path. His voice was slightly incredulous.

Twisting around, Kakashi saw Itachi. Without his uniform, his posture relaxed, and an actual smile on his lips, it was almost unbelievable that this was the same cold-eyed boy. Even more jarring was the small hand he held in his. A little boy, clearly Uchiha, beamed up at him, voice excited. The way the ANBU looked at him was unlike anything they’d ever seen from Itachi before, so full of love.

“That must be Sasuke,” said Kakashi, “his little brother.”

“I didn’t even know he had one,” Tenzo admitted.

It was true that Itachi did not willing share anything about himself. Everything Kakashi knew had been obtained with difficulty. As they passed, Kakashi raised his hand in greeting.

“Hey Itachi!” Tenzo called.

Itachi waved back, his eyes warm. The way he smiled at them was genuine.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he called, as his brother pulled him away, saying something about training.

“He’s so...” Tenzo began, but there was no sentence to finish.

All the same, Kakashi understood. Itachi had looked so young, so human. Distraction gone, Kakashi went back to his previous activity, plucking another one of the wildflowers.

“They’re prettier when they’re living, you know,” Tenzo commented. “If you don’t pick them, everyone can enjoy them.”

Ignoring him, Kakashi tucked it behind Tenzo’s ear with the other one. Folding his legs as if meditating, Tenzo closed his eyes and pressed his hands together. Kakashi felt a surge of chakra. Then, all around them, flowers pushed their way from the dirt. He had never seen Tenzo do this before, and he stared in awe as the carpet of colours spread out in all directions. They were all wildflowers, nothing as exotic as what you could find in the Yamanaka’s shop, but to Kakashi that made them even more beautiful.

“That’s amazing,” he whispered, “Tenzo you’re... you can create life.”

“Had to make up for the damage you did to the ecosystem,” Tenzo teased, but Kakashi was too in awe to continue the banter.

The dogs barked excitedly, overwhelmed by the new smells. They chased each other across the grass, nipping and rolling, and crushing some of the delicate peddles beneath their bodies.

The request left his mouth before Kakashi could think it over. “Can I pick a few? I uh... there’s someone I want you to meet.” 

Sensing his change in demeanour, Tenzo nodded. The unasked question was in his eyes.

Busying himself with picking a suitable bouquet, Kakashi said, “I want to introduce you to Rin... properly. I think she really would have liked you.” His voice was quiet, hating himself for casting a shadow across this lovely day.

“I’d like that,” said Tenzo, a reassuring hand settling on Kakashi’s arm, “I’d really like that.”

Sending the ninken away, Kakashi and Tenzo walked to the cemetery. Kakashi gripped a large bouquet of all the kinds of flowers Tenzo had created. There was no theme to it, but its beauty was in its chaos. Though they had been her favourite, Kakashi figured Rin must have been getting sick of lilies. As they approached her grave, the feeling in the air was not grief. It was hope and love; the disorganized bouquet tinged with optimism instead of regret. Fresh-cut flowers already lay against the headstone. They were wild lilies, an unfamiliar kind not native to the Land of Fire.

“Those aren’t from you, are they?” Tenzo asked, tensing slightly despite himself.

Kakashi shook his head, and they spoke no more of it. Kneeling, he placed the wildflowers next to them.

“Tenzo grew these,” Kakashi said, “his Jutsu can create life, can create beautiful things, so unlike mine.”

“That’s not true,” Tenzo said softly, “and I think she’d agree with me.”

“Probably,” Kakashi agreed. Then, turning his attention back to the headstone, he said, “you’re probably cross with me for not formally introducing you two earlier. It’s too bad you and Tenzo never got to meet. I know you would have loved each other. You have a lot in common.”

Tenzo bit his lip, feeling inexplicably like he was going to cry. It wasn’t that he was sad, in fact quite the contrary. Emotions were certainly confusing things. He settled down next to Kakashi on the grass, leaning a head on his shoulder.

“What was she like?” he asked.

They’d never talked about her before. Rin had always been a pressure point Tenzo had made sure to steer clear of. Kakashi was a minefield and there were boundaries when dealing with him. It was such a relief to know those were gone.

“She was the kindest person I ever knew,” Kakashi said, “brave, strong, a genius in medical Jutsu. She was the heart of our team. She brought light to every room she entered, but would have done anything to protect the people she cared about, and the ones she didn’t. She made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the village, after all.”

“I think I very much would have liked to meet her,” said Tenzo.

“Maybe it’s naive,” said Kakashi, “but I feel like she is watching us. I’ve been hurting her for too long, acting as I have been. I haven’t been living in her memory. I tried to make Obito understand that, but...”

“Maybe you did get through to him,” Tenzo begrudged, “just a little.”

He pointed to the lilies where they lay alongside the flowers he’d grown.

“I do know this,” Kakashi said, “she’d yell at me for pushing you away as long as I did. She wouldn’t want me to spend my whole life here leaving flowers.”

An idea struck Tenzo then. “She deserves them though,” he said, “but they are so much prettier when they’re living.”

Kakashi watched with love in his eyes as Tenzo made a hand sign, and wildflowers sprouted around the headstone.

“There,” he said proudly, “now she’ll have some even if you don’t have time to visit.”

Kakashi hugged him so tightly it was a little painful. Head buried in Tenzo’s shirt, his tears were hidden.

“I love you so much,” he muttered.

“I love you too.”

This wasn’t a dream. This wasn’t hell. It was life, and it was beautiful and painful, but definitely worth living.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally over! I feel bittersweet: happy and a little sad. Thanks for coming on this ride with me, guys. I hope you enjoyed this. I definitely enjoyed writing it. Leaving an author's note on the last chapter kind of feels like leaving a time capsule. This has to be my message for the readers in the indefinitely far future. What's Boruto's son's name? Zoruto? Caruto? jkjkjkjk
> 
> Seriously though, no matter how old this fic gets you should still drop a comment. The idea some people have that authors don't like comments on old fics isn't true at all for me. Or if you're from the present and have been reading post by post (I love you) and would love to hear what you think. Are you satisfied with the ending? Or if you're rereading it or something, drop a comment with some perspective. Maybe I'll come back in a year and comment on my own fic, lol. (Yes my memory is that bad.) Now I'm being weird. Couldn't just end this classy, could I? 
> 
> Love you all, hope you liked it, peace out <3<3<3


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